Gm, as @Ellii_art triptych “Polyamour mon Amour” has been selected as a finalist in the Still Image Award category of the @lumenprize, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate his work as both a curator and an artist. At @artcrush , I’ve invited over 30 curators to select artists for our program and served on numerous juries, so I’ve had plenty of experience collaborating with curators. For more than a year, Elli and I curated the selection of the 3 winners of Artcrush’s Monthly Open Call, it was always smooth sailing. It takes a rare skill set to navigate 1000+ submissions and collectively decide which deserve the podium. @keigowda (who co-curated an Artcrush open call in partnership with a Solana marketplace) can confirm how daunting the process is. Most artists make poor curators...too often ego, bias, or personal taste get in the way of judging fairly. Elli is one of the few capable of putting that aside. I take curation seriously (see previous threads) and can sometimes be overly directive or defensive in committee. Elli and I complemented each other perfectly: he has a rare ability to perceive nuances and contextualize work in ways I could not. I tend to over-rationalize and lean on academic aspects, whereas Elli brings a profound sensibility for ideas through an emotional lens, while still offering sharp technical insight. To be honest, when Elli was onboarded as a curator at Artcrush, I wasn’t consulted and at first I was dismissive of the need for help. I was wrong. Not only did Elli support me tremendously, he also opened perspectives no one else had. I learned a lot working alongside him and always looked forward to our calls. Anyone who has met Elli IRL knows his genuine kindness, unique mind, and generous spirit. He celebrates others’ success without envy; a rare quality that shines in his art. His themes (Ego, Balance, Harmony, Joy, Doubt, Alter Ego) intertwine seamlessly in vivid, colorful creations that are both aesthetically striking and deeply meaningful. Elli has written many exquisite texts for other artists, so I felt the least I could do was give back through the same medium. As he once wrote, art can be “an exploration of identity and the paths we navigate through life. It reflects on how, no matter how chaotically they are assembled, our pieces compose who we are.” Like me, Elli has been through challenges, and you can feel art as a healing journey in his work. I’m grateful to have been part of it. It’s the small acts we do for one another that keep our consciousness alive, helping us overcome the difficulty of connecting. So please, make a small act too and share his pinned tweet to celebrate his nomination !