Elena Vasari
Light studies in oil and atmosphere
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Light studies in oil and atmosphere
My work explores the interplay between natural light and architectural space — the way morning sun transforms a stone facade, or how fog softens the geometry of a bridge.
A study of atmosphere and anonymity. The wet pavement reflects a city dissolving into its own light. Figures pass through without pause.
“The site’s design itself signals the artist’s taste. Sloppy presentation undermines even great work.”
A landscape filtered through memory. The Italian countryside rendered not as it was, but as it felt — warm stone, diffused light, the weight of an afternoon.
Elena Vasari is a Chicago-based painter working primarily in oil. Her work explores the interplay between natural light and architectural space — the way morning sun transforms a stone facade, or how fog softens the geometry of a bridge.
Her influences span the Hudson River School’s reverence for natural light, Vilhelm Hammershøi’s quiet interiors, and the color theory of Josef Albers. Her studio practice moves between direct observation and memory, building layers of translucent oil glazes that capture the way light transforms over hours.
After earning her BFA from the University of Michigan in 2018, she completed her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020. She spent two years painting en plein air across southern Europe before returning to establish her studio practice.
Oil painting (alla prima, glazing, impasto), plein air, mixed media, watercolor, charcoal drawing, Adobe Creative Suite
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