Elise Asher

Elise Asher (January 15, 1912 – March 8, 2004) was an American painter and poet. She is known for paintings on canvas and plexiglas, illustrating poems written by herself and others.

Early life Elise Asher was born on January 15, 1912, in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother died of cancer when she was young, so she and her three siblings were primarily raised by her father. Through her father's connections as a journalist, Asher met many intellectuals notable in Chicago during her childhood, including poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who stayed in their home. She moved to New York in 1947. A review of her work in the Tanager Gallery stated that her work was, "Light, rather self-indulgent abstract paintings abound in nimble, frisky shapes."

She published her first poetry collection, The Meandering Absolute, in 1955. She remained active until shortly before her death in 2004. Sheep Meadow Press published a book of her art and poetry in 1994, and another collection of her poetry titled Night Train in 2000. At the time of her death, her works were included in many public collections, including those of the National Academy of Sciences and the Corcoran Gallery.

She was married to the artist Nanno de Groot, and later to the poet Stanley Kunitz, whose poetry featured in some of her works. She had one daughter, Babette.

The Estate of Elise Asher is represented by Eric Firestone Gallery.

Death Asher died from complications from a broken hip at her Greenwich Village home on March 8, 2004, aged 92.