Elise (Ellie) Leake was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2003. She received her BFA in painting & printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2025. She is a Richmond and Charlottesville Based artist who works primarily in large scale  oil paintings. She also occasionally works in 50 mm film photography as well as digital video work. Her pieces revolve around a form of contemporary portraiture often in uncanny or unconventional settings, using artificial lighting as a means to change value and form. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia and works as a gallery assistant at The Reynolds Gallery.