Elise Coker, photo courtesy of the artist
Elise Coker is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and visual artist currently living and working in New York City. Coker’s film work prioritizes observational character-driven storytelling to examine ideological and cultural intersections between society, the environment, and human nature. She has won multiple awards for her video work including an Award for Excellence in Global Video Reporting and has partnered with Netflix, Topic Studios, VICE Media, NBC News, Al Jazeera, PBS, and The New York Times to direct, produce, and edit long and short format works. Her paintings are deeply informed by her documentary work, and she focuses on similar themes as she examines the impact of civilization on the planet. While illustrating the scars left by industry, infrastructure, transportation and technology, Coker explores humanities connection, both physical and spiritual, to its surrounding environment and the liminal spaces between the banal and ethereal. Her works draw on lived experiences and highlight the juxtaposition of beauty and absurdity within human society. Coker received a Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College in 2010. She has exhibited at Village One Art (2025), Hyper Contemporary (2025), and VITAL Brooklyn in New York City; and in Santa Barbara, California. Coker was also a solo featured artist at Spring/Break Art Fair (2025).