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Artist Statement

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Intrapersonal conversations, imposition of social roles, and relationship dynamics generate all kinds of complex dialogs. My work has developed through curiosity in the mannerisms of communication, using means of anecdotal tableaux, satire, poster media, implied metaphor, and the written word.

From a young age, I thought that to be heard one has to speak the loudest, which often left me quiet. In the studio, I discovered expression through action, with color, brush strokes, pinched clay, and other material gestures, allowing me to engage in conversations where I may otherwise feel voiceless. Aside from strengthening my own voice I became encouraged by the way my practice generated conversations and a voice in others beyond my expectations.  Often it is difficult to verbalize internal conflicts, but by visualizing these intangible emotions I bring them easily to the surface of discourse. Self-deprecation, powerlessness, social pressure, attachment, ambivalence, and self-harming behaviors are some of the triggers I explore to capture these feelings. Creating stories through media I work to reclaim narrative and space, in an attempt to understand thoughts, reactions, and the unsaid. Trying to capture these visceral emotions, I can only hope to provide an insight into the impact of the social dynamics of exclusion, power, and superiority, that the viewer may in turn complete with their own perceptions. To recount the world about me, much of my materiality and textures are inspired by the subjects I met on street corners and in subway stations. Transcribing human stories with my own hands, I study others and myself, working to embody human experience through empathetic observation.

Elsa Stern is a BFA graduate of New York University with majors in Studio Art and Art History. She has been working in ceramics and sculptures for about 8 years but her work covers a multitude of medias. An early carreer artist Elsa pursues a career that seeks to engage with her comunity artistically and beyond.

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Workshops & Residencies

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OxBow School of Art, Allegan, MI
09/ 4/2024 - 10/19/2024


Artist Mentorship with Flor Califano, Jujuy, Argentina
11/1/23 - 11/21/23

Haystack School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME
06/ 9/2023 - 06/21/2023

Education

Achievements