About
My work explores the interplay between natural light and architectural space. I am drawn to the moments when light transforms the ordinary — a stone wall in afternoon sun, fog dissolving the edges of a bridge, the way a window frames and concentrates the world outside.
Elena Vasari is a Chicago-based painter working primarily in oil. Her influences span the Hudson River School's reverence for natural light, Vilhelm Hammershoi'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 in Fine Arts from the University of Michigan in 2018, she completed her MFA in Painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020. She then spent two years painting en plein air across southern Italy and the south of France before returning to establish her studio practice in Chicago.
Her work has been exhibited at galleries in Chicago, New York, and Milan. She is available for commissions, residencies, and exhibition opportunities.
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
- 2024 "Atmospheres" — Vertex Gallery, Chicago
- 2023 "Light Studies" — Galleria Moderna, Milan
- 2022 "Urban Fog" — North Shore Art Center, Winnetka
Group Exhibitions
- 2024 "New Chicago Painters" — Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
- 2024 "Landscape Now" — Riverside Arts Center
- 2023 "Emerging Voices" — Zhou B Art Center, Chicago
- 2022 "First Look" — Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago
Awards & Residencies
- 2023 Artist Residency — Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL
- 2022 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
- 2021 Luminarts Fellowship in Visual Arts
Education
- 2020 MFA Painting — School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- 2018 BFA Fine Arts — University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Skills
Oil painting (alla prima, glazing, impasto), plein air, mixed media, watercolor, charcoal drawing, Adobe Creative Suite, portfolio design
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