The Percivals 2026

About the Artwork

This work doesn’t condemn the phone; rather, it reveals its power to reshape perception and, in doing so, invites us to reconsider our identities. The smartphone becomes a portal into another world: it reframes the street as a stage, the surrounding creatures as an audience, and an action as myth. Reality bends as ibises and a dingo (which could just as easily be a stray dog) become totem animals to transformation, suggesting that even the overlooked can be elevated through the phone’s curated gaze. The fragmented, elusive handwritten text beneath the feet echoes themes of partial truths and layered perception. The painting suggests that identity can be fluid: the person in the selfie is both subject and object, both real and imagined, both performer and observer.

About the Artist

Elena Churilova is an established artist who spent 16 years living in Central Queensland before relocating to Brisbane. Her distinct lyrical style can be described as magic realism, blending reality with fantasy. Elena believes that good art emerges from the partnership of strong technical skill and a compelling idea. Working across multiple mediums—oils, pastel, and watercolour—she moves beyond purely representational techniques.

Elena has won numerous art prizes both in Queensland and nationwide, and she has been a finalist in many prominent art awards across Australia. She regularly exhibits her work in regional galleries.