Statement
Fascination with history and culture contained in objects is expressed throughout my work. Observing and studying formal aspects of artifacts as well as learning their meanings and histories drives me to create their contemporary renderings. I am interested in the material culture, in its expression and interpretation. Decoration and surface are my main basis for the transmission of a concept. Abandoning current trends of minimal, modern/postmodern and purely conceptual, I take ORNAMENTAL as a subject and symbol of the old and new - the spiral movement of history.
The object as a power tool is crucial to communicate ideas. In that respect archaeological or museum (historical) objects are of great importance. They tell us a story and contain layers of information and significance that form our understanding of cultures and history. Cultural luggage and heritage is what makes us who we are. The narratives created through the agency of relics are a base of our collective consciousness, however in the contemporary world the axis of histories has been shifted through the displacement historical objects. High saturation of history in select few centers creates hyper culture whilst stripping its owners of the rights to it. One singular object is never enough for a full picture, it is rather through a group or sequence, a composition of them that those speculations and theories can be made. Acting as a ‘collector’ of surfaces, ideas and shapes I seek to assemble an eternal universe of my own.
CV
Education
— Royal College of Art, UK. 2014-2016 MA Ceramics
— Parsons Paris, Paris, France. 2009-2013 BFA Fine Arts
— Emily Carr University Vancouver, Canada. 2011 Study abroad
Exhibitions
Solo/Duo
— ECHO. Elena Gileva & Nicolas Roggy. Galerie du college Marcel Duchamp. Chateauroux, France 2022.
— FRACAS. Brussels, Belgium. 2019
— Cultural Landscape.Part 2.(Solo) Galerie de l’ancienne poste. Toucy, France. 2017
— FOUNT. British Ceramic Biennale commission. AirSpace gallery. Stoke-on- Trent. Sept. 2017
Group
— Le Vase comme vecteur culturel. Le Don du Fel, France. 2021
— COLORS, ETC. Le Tripostal. Lille, France 2021
— Flowers of Romance III. White Conduit Projects. London, UK 2021
— MIC Faenza Arte Prize. Faenza Musem, Faenza. Italy 2021
— Royal Society of Sculptors Summer Show. Dora house. London, UK. 2020
— Voyage Immobile. Atelier Jespers/ Fracas Gallery. Brussels, Belgium. 2020
— In our absent dialogues. Warbling Collective. London 2020
— Touching Transcendence. White Conduit Projects. London 2020
— Van Eyck’s Colours in Design, Design Museum Ghent. Belgium 2020
— Architects at Play. CIVA . Brussels 2019
— Ceramics in Love... TWO. Castellamonte, Italy. 2019
— PIECEMEALS. Eccleston project space, London. 2019
— Nakanojo Biennial 2019. Nakanojo, Gunma, Japan. 2019
— In the spot light. Morley College Gallery, London 2019
— Artworks Open. Barbican Art Trust. London . 2018
— Ceramics at Doddington Hall Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire, UK. 2018
— GICB Competition. Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale. Korea. April 2017
— LIMBIC. ArtHub, London. March 2017
— Ibero-American Arts Award Exhibition. Brazilian Embassy. London. November 2016
— The Ingram Collection’s inaugural Purchase Prize Exhibition for Young Contemporary
— Talent. Cello Factory. London. November 2016
Art Fairs
— Cosmoscow Fair. Fabula Gallery. Moscow, Russia. 2020
— Collectible Fair. Fracas. Brussels, Belgium. 2020
— London Art Fair. White Conduit Projects. London, UK. 2020
— London Art Fair. Square Art Projects. London, UK. 2019
Residencies/Workshops
— Residence La Borne, France. 2022
— Shangyu Ceramic Centre, Shangyu. China . May- June. 2018
— Beirut Art Residency. Beirut, Lebanon. Artist in residence. Jan.- Feb. 2018
— The Florence Trust, London, UK. studio artist in residence program. 2016 - 2017
— The Shigaraki Ceramics Cultural Park, Shiga, Japan. artist in residence program. 2014
— Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire,UK. collaboration residency with Anton Burdakov. 2015
Contact
contact@elena-gileva.com
Statement
Fascination with history and culture contained in objects is expressed throughout my work. Observing and studying formal aspects of artifacts as well as learning their meanings and histories drives me to create their contemporary renderings. I am interested in the material culture, in its expression and interpretation. Decoration and surface are my main basis for the transmission of a concept. Abandoning current trends of minimal, modern/postmodern and purely conceptual, I take ORNAMENTAL as a subject and symbol of the old and new - the spiral movement of history.
The object as a power tool is crucial to communicate ideas. In that respect archaeological or museum (historical) objects are of great importance. They tell us a story and contain layers of information and significance that form our understanding of cultures and history. Cultural luggage and heritage is what makes us who we are. The narratives created through the agency of relics are a base of our collective consciousness, however in the contemporary world the axis of histories has been shifted through the displacement historical objects. High saturation of history in select few centers creates hyper culture whilst stripping its owners of the rights to it. One singular object is never enough for a full picture, it is rather through a group or sequence, a composition of them that those speculations and theories can be made. Acting as a ‘collector’ of surfaces, ideas and shapes I seek to assemble an eternal universe of my own.
CV
Education
— Royal College of Art, UK. 2014-2016 MA Ceramics
— Parsons Paris, Paris, France. 2009-2013 BFA Fine Arts
— Emily Carr University Vancouver, Canada. 2011 Study abroad
Exhibitions
Solo/Duo
— ECHO. Elena Gileva & Nicolas Roggy. Galerie du college Marcel Duchamp. Chateauroux, France 2022.
— FRACAS. Brussels, Belgium. 2019
— Cultural Landscape.Part 2.(Solo) Galerie de l’ancienne poste. Toucy, France. 2017
— FOUNT. British Ceramic Biennale commission. AirSpace gallery. Stoke-on- Trent. Sept. 2017
Group
— Le Vase comme vecteur culturel. Le Don du Fel, France. 2021
— COLORS, ETC. Le Tripostal. Lille, France 2021
— Flowers of Romance III. White Conduit Projects. London, UK 2021
— MIC Faenza Arte Prize. Faenza Musem, Faenza. Italy 2021
— Royal Society of Sculptors Summer Show. Dora house. London, UK. 2020
— Voyage Immobile. Atelier Jespers/ Fracas Gallery. Brussels, Belgium. 2020
— In our absent dialogues. Warbling Collective. London 2020
— Touching Transcendence. White Conduit Projects. London 2020
— Van Eyck’s Colours in Design, Design Museum Ghent. Belgium 2020
— Architects at Play. CIVA . Brussels 2019
— Ceramics in Love... TWO. Castellamonte, Italy. 2019
— PIECEMEALS. Eccleston project space, London. 2019
— Nakanojo Biennial 2019. Nakanojo, Gunma, Japan. 2019
— In the spot light. Morley College Gallery, London 2019
— Artworks Open. Barbican Art Trust. London . 2018
— Ceramics at Doddington Hall Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire, UK. 2018
— GICB Competition. Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale. Korea. April 2017
— LIMBIC. ArtHub, London. March 2017
— Ibero-American Arts Award Exhibition. Brazilian Embassy. London. November 2016
— The Ingram Collection’s inaugural Purchase Prize Exhibition for Young Contemporary
— Talent. Cello Factory. London. November 2016
Art Fairs
— Cosmoscow Fair. Fabula Gallery. Moscow, Russia. 2020
— Collectible Fair. Fracas. Brussels, Belgium. 2020
— London Art Fair. White Conduit Projects. London, UK. 2020
— London Art Fair. Square Art Projects. London, UK. 2019
Residencies/Workshops
— Residence La Borne, France. 2022
— Shangyu Ceramic Centre, Shangyu. China . May- June. 2018
— Beirut Art Residency. Beirut, Lebanon. Artist in residence. Jan.- Feb. 2018
— The Florence Trust, London, UK. studio artist in residence program. 2016 - 2017
— The Shigaraki Ceramics Cultural Park, Shiga, Japan. artist in residence program. 2014
— Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire,UK. collaboration residency with Anton Burdakov. 2015