Featured Artist of the Month: August 2020
Inspirational Self-Taught Painter
Elisa Valenti’s work showcases beautiful, luscious women doing ordinary things, just like everybody else. Her inspirational paintings reflect her own battles with body image and her mental health journey.
“So many women can relate to the idea of never having seen someone who looks like them in pop culture or mainstream media and the feelings of self-doubt or otherness that are often associated with it.” She paints what she wishes she has seen back the, depicting women in ordinary scenes of life.
Q: I like to start at the beginning, so I would love to hear more about where you're from, and when/how you first discovered art?
I grew up in Queens, NY and am the daughter of immigrant parents. They settled in NYC in 1969 and worked every day since trying to achieve the American Dream. Their backgrounds and work ethic really instilled in me a strong sense of independence and the need to be self-sufficient at such a young age, while still allowing me to explore my happiness. It appears art chose me rather than the other way around. Growing up, art was a form of comfort and healing for me and I got older, a passion my parents continued to support. I attended the High School of Art and Design in NYC, however, made the decision to pursue something more “stable,” in college.
Q: I know you previously had a career as a Pharmacist - what made you decide to change paths and pursue a career as an artist and what has that transition looked like?
After school I pursued a career in pharmaceuticals, eventually working my way up to Pharmacy Director. On paper, I had the dream job and what many would define as success. However, I felt unfulfilled and constantly distracted by thinking about what I wanted to do - which was paint.
In 2018, I decided to take step back from my role and pursue my career in art. It’s been about a year and a half now since I’ve focused my time on Elisa Valenti Studio and it’s been one of the most transformative times of my life. Not only have I been able to tell my story in a medium that is therapeutic to me, but my work and story has been a source of inspiration of healing for others.
Q: You have a very unique style - can you tell us more about how you developed it and who/what most influences your work?
I am a self-taught painter. I seek to create the beauty I care to see in the world. Throughout my life, I have been heavily influenced by Classical Greek and Roman Sculpture, The Renaissance, Baroque Art, and Fauvism. Having studied medicine, gross anatomy, skeletal structures, muscle movement and the study of the dermatology have always fascinated me. I am also very interested in capturing light and emotion. I never studied classical color theory or color mixing. The colors I create are based off intuition.
Q: What is your mission or vision as an artist? I know you are passionate about celebrating real bodies and wondered what you hope people will think, do or feel after experiencing your work?
My work aims to strip away fear and replenish the viewer with confidence. It takes courage to become who you really are and present yourself despite the pressure of what the world pressures one to be. It takes nerve to accept that some people will not like us or want us or accept us. It takes conviction to move forward, nonetheless. This desire drives my compulsion to paint beautiful, non-idealized, ordinary, everyday bodies for everyone to see. With each figure I paint, the more I embrace my own body and strive to encourage women and men to respect, love and embrace theirs.
Q: Can you tell us about any projects you're currently working on, or ideas you have for the future?
It’s such an exciting time for Elisa Valenti Studio right now between ongoing projects and upcoming exhibitions!
One of the projects I am currently involved in is #artistsupportpledge which was started amidst the pandemic to support up and coming artists and makers. I joined the initiative in May creating smaller scale pieces for the program and internally set a goal of what I wanted to sell. Within a month and a half, I had exceeded my goal which has been incredibly exciting as I have been able to introduce my audience to other artists and makers. However, the most amazing part in all of this is that proceeds from my purchase of these artists has often been given back to communities that need it the most right now – whether the NYC Foodbank or organizations supporting BLM.
Looking ahead, my work will be featured in three digital exhibitions with great galleries in NYC, London and LA – and I’m honored to have the privilege of being selected to partake!
