Heidi Elbers

Heidi Elbers is a painter that is from New Orleans that celebrates her Cajun heritage. Her works are a fusion of the elaborate costumes of Mardi Gras, the mystical bayou, and Cajun folklore.

Connecting with my cultural heritage as a Louisiana native, my paintings are a fusion of the elaborate costumes of Mardi Gras, the bayou, and the magic that resonates from southeastern Louisiana. My mother grew up in the bayou as a daughter of a fur trapper and alligator hunter. Most Cajuns are skilled tradesman that carry on the family business for generations so I grew up around alligator farmers and hunters. As beautiful as the bayou is with the flora and fauna, it was also terrifying not only from the alligators, alligator gar, and poisonous snakes, but also from the Cajun folklore that I grew up around – the stories of the fue follet, rougarou, and other unexplained phenomena. Creating these paintings allow me to relate to more fundamental origins of my Cajun culture and the mystical bayou. -Heidi Elbers, 2023