Artist’s Statement
Elisa Vanelli is a visionary sculptor whose work bridges the human and natural worlds. Her forms often merge human and animal characteristics, evoking an ancient time when the two were not separate but deeply intertwined. Influenced by natural geometry, energetic systems, and the memory held in water, her sculptures invite us to remember our original bond with the Earth and its creatures. Drawing from shamanic traditions and the rhythms of the wild, Vanelli reimagines a world where instinct, intuition, and interconnection are not lost—but waiting to be remembered.
Named one of Art New England Magazine’s 2024 Emerging Artists of Massachusetts, Vanelli’s work continues to gain recognition for its ability to stir memory and awaken a sense of sacred presence in the natural world.
About the Artist: Elisa Vanelli
Elisa Vanelli is a sculptor whose work explores the sacred relationship between humans, nature, and the unseen. Born in Italy and having lived in the south of France for over thirteen years, she is fluent in five languages and holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures. Her lifelong devotion to language—spoken, written, and visual—shapes her view of art as a living form of communication that transcends words.
Elisa’s practice is profoundly elemental. Working primarily with clay, she honors it as the perfect expression of the four elements: born of the earth, shaped with water, dried by air, and transformed by fire. These elemental forces are not only part of her process—they are the essence of her message. Her sculptures act as portals shaped by natural rhythms, ancestral memory, and energetic resonance.
Rooted in a shamanic worldview, Elisa’s work bridges human and animal forms, invoking mythic timelines and archetypes that speak to a forgotten wholeness. Many of her pieces contain sacred chambers activated with water, crystals, and breath—offering experiences of remembrance, presence, and healing.
Based in Massachusetts, Elisa serves as the Exhibition Chair of the New England Sculptors Association and is the founder of The TideKeepers Foundation, a regional initiative dedicated to creating tide-responsive sculptures along the shores of Cape Ann. She is currently preparing her first immersive solo exhibition, Before We Forgot, for 2026, and the unveiling of her large-scale public sculpture, Atlantis, the TideKeeper, which will be installed in Manchester Harbor. In 2024, Elisa was recognized as a New England Emerging Artist by Art New England.