Elle Stephenson, Oregon State studio art BFA alum, is living and working in Portland, OR. Exploring community, connection, and spiritual shamanism, Elle is expanding their artistic and neighborly lexicon.
As a romantic, Elle finds the sublime in everyday experience, and ritual in overlooked routine.
Working with the audience to create an art experience, Elle plays with perception and allows her work to grow as it’s received in new ways by her audience. By separating her intention for the work from its outcome, a collaboration begins, and an alternative reception is celebrated in co-creation with her audience. Stephenson also criticizes a modern disassociation from spirituality. No need to “Find God” in the traditional sense, but Elle asks us to challenge our relationship to belief and supplement the human need for spirituality in a new way. Your spiritual belief may be in human connection or art. There are many approaches to fulfilling our need for awe and rapture — Elle Stephenson hopes to find them and make them accessible through their work.
Elle Tempered 