Elleanna Chapman: Contemporary Art, Political Kitsch, and Pop Cultural Agitprop

Elleanna Chapman investigates the political potential of art to catalyse class struggle. A graduate with First Class Honours from the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford, Chapman explores themes of revolution through the lens of the kitsch and pop-cultural. By contrasting militant proletarian messages with familiar imagery—such as kittens and glittering pop icons—she seeks to disrupt established class and taste hierarchies. Her work spans various media, including large-scale installations, bedazzled artworks, and social practice. Underpinning her artistic output is her active membership in the Revolutionary Communist International, which informs her engagement with working-class histories and propaganda strategies. Chapman's recent works combines celebrity and Agitprop frameworks to encourage viewers to consider both the potential and limitations of culture under capitalism. Chapman has undertaken residencies at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Acme Studios, Good Eye Projects, Bow Arts, Cambridge Artworks, and the Koppel Project. Her work features in both private and public collections, whilst features in leading contemporary art publications such as FAD, Plaster, and Fetch magazines have further cemented the relevance of her work. Recent exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery (London, 2026), London Art Services (London, 2025), East Side Projects (Birmingham, 2025), Modern Art Oxford (Oxford, 2025), Under the Spell Artspace (London, 2025), and Focal Point Gallery (Essex, 2023 and 2025) have established her as a significant voice in contemporary political art. Her practice serves as both an aesthetic and political endeavour, which aims to demonstrate that the demand to oust capitalism is not so outlandish, after all.