About The Artist

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Ilena Finocchi

Pittsburgh, United States
http://www.ilenaf.com
 2.3
 

Biography

After completing her Masters of Fine Art degree from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology, Ilena has been busy showing her work in galleries and museums across the country. Born and raised in Ohio, Ilena received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Youngstown State University majoring in Studio Art in 1991 and worked as a successful Graphic Designer and Illustrator for 14 years. It was her love of sculpture that led her back to get her MFA and pursue her professional fine art full time. Ilena’s art has garnered national attention in galleries and museums. Recent National Shows include: Contemporary Crafts Museum and Gallery, Portland, Oregon; The Schwheinfurth Memorial Art Gallery, Auburn, New York; Visions in Clay at San Joaquin Potters Guild, California; The Horizon Award at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, where she received Honorable Mention; The NCECA 2005 Regional Student Juried Exhibition - Tour de Clay; The Second Annual Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Student Exhibition at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia; Feats of ClayXVIII at Lincoln Arts, California, where she received two merit awards; Woman Made Art Gallery in Chicago; her work can also be seen in the upcoming 500 Animals in Clay by Lark Books. Currently Ilena is working in her studio focused on creating ceramic sculpture and installation art and continues to show her work. Ilena just completed a summer residency at the prestigious Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana and created work in their historic studios during the summer of 2006.

Statement

Clay is the connection to my childhood self and means of communicating in a way I cannot in words. My sculptural work is built from a playful, adventurous childhood and the unassuming confinements of adulthood. My work is about creating sculptures that explore metaphorical symbols which are personal reminders of my past and how the presence of adulthood interacts with those memories. By creating my own metaphorical language using various objects, I build narratives through fantasy and play just as a child naturally would. The metaphor of the bird is used to represent myself. I chose which birds would best represent the reference to my past and present self. The ominous yet beautiful physical characteristics of the crow, include its luscious black feathers, pointy metallic beak, and sparkling dark eyes. Perceived to be fiercely independent and free. The beautiful, alluring traits of the crow remind me of how I could not wait to grow up, while my perception of being an adult was that of more freedom, I found the opposite to be true. Homing pigeons represent a messenger from my past. The interaction between the crow and pigeon is where I find room to explore the conflict of past and present. The circle also appears in my work at times as a childhood wheel or a nest. These circles reference the cycle of nature, our habits, life and death and an understanding that the circle connects all things. There were certain aspects of my childhood that gave me a unique perspective on the world. I would play with everyday objects and without realizing it, I would transform them into personal metaphors. This skill came naturally to me through play and fantasy. Somewhere between the conscious and the unconscious is the limitless, innocent state of mind where everything is possible. Working with clay allows me to travel to that place in my mind where play, creativity and hope are nourished.

Artist History

EDUCATION School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY • Master of Fine Arts 2005 Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH • Bachelor of Fine Arts 1991 SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2007 NCECA Clay National Biennial Exhibition, KY, 2007 Archie Bray Residency Show, WA, 2006 40 Under 40, The Clay Place, PA 2006 Mastery in Clay, The Clay Studio, PA 2006 Resident Show, Archie Bray, MT 2006 Size Matters, Women Made Gallery, IL, 2006 La Petite XIII, Alder Gallery, OR, 2005-2006 Good Bird/Bad Bird, Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, OR, 2005-2006 Visions in Clay, San Joaquin Potters Guild, CA, 2005 As the Crow Flies, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, NY, 2005 Horizon Award 2005, Museum of Arts and Design, NY, 2005 The Second Annual Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Student Exhibition, The Clay Studio, PA, 2005 NCECA 2005 Regional Student Juried Exhibition - Tour de Clay, MD, 2005 Feats of ClayXVIII, Lincoln Arts, CA, 2005 Emergence, Rochester Contemporary, NY, 2005 Passages, Wendel Castle Gallery, NY 2005 Harbingers, Bevier Gallery, NY 2005 The Next Generation, Sante Fe Clay, NM 2004 Manchester Ceramics Show, Manchester Craftsman Guild, PA, 2003 AWARDS Horizon Award 2005, Honorable Mention, Museum of Arts and Design, NY Feats of ClayXVIII, Two Merit Awards, Lincoln Arts, CA 2005 Purchase Prize Award, Wallace Memorial Library, Rochester, NY 2005 PUBLISHED 500 Animals in Clay, Lark Books 2006 China Ceramic Artist 2005 Vol. 1, Self Portrait, Pg. 29 RESIDENCIES/WORKSHOPS Resident Summer, The Archie Bray Foundation, MT, 2006 Don Reitz Workshop/Lecture, Manchester Craftsmens Guild, PA, 2002 SELECTED COLLECTIONS Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts Permanent Collection, Helena, MT Sandy Besser Collection, Santa Fe, NM Wallace Memorial Library Art Collection, Rochester, NY Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery, Portland, OR

Signed up on 10/20/2006

Category: 3 Dimensional

 

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