BIO | ARTIST STATEMENT

Elena Øhlander (b. 1988) is a visual artist and muralist working in the medium of mixed-media illustration, currently residing in Jacksonville, Florida. She obtained her BFA in Photography from The Art Institute of Jacksonville in 2014.

Her work explores identity, individuality, gender issues, societal gaze, and social justice. She utilizes a contrived scenario, characterization of her own likeness, intentional use of semiotics, and the psychology of color to build her vernacular.

Her emphasis of hyphenated American identity is used as a comparative lens that focuses on Asian diaspora awareness and unification to society at large – investigating issues surrounding cultural preservation and historical memory.