Embrace - Klee (2022) Painting by Elena Disabato (Red Kimono Design)

I am an artist and creative designer / project manager living in the Logan Square neighborhood of my hometown, Chicago. My degree is from the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) at Syracuse University (BFA ’00) with a minor in English and a semester in Florence, Italy studying Renaissance painting. I lived in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood from 2000-2006, throwing the bi-monthly “Art & Science” events at Galapagos Art Space until  I returned to Chicago. Three of my pieces were shown in 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago at the Sustainable Architecture in Chicago exhibit in tandem with Bruce Mao's Massive Change exhibit. 

My style could be described as both mid-century modern-meets-psychedelic abstraction, and surrealist figurative. I have created mostly abstract work since 2019, but also enjoy making cityscapes, figurative works, and pet portraits. In abstraction I break down uncommon objects into both linear and amorphous forms – sometimes combined in the same composition. Figurative work is usually intertwined with an object or animal that evokes an unsettled feeling within sometimes traditional depictions of the human figure.

Oil on canvas or board and watercolor on paper or illustration board are my most common methods for creating art. Integrating metallics is my signature design move, bringing sheen and unexpected depth to my work. An often-used overlay technique incorporates Swarovski crystal rhinestones as a decorative yet integral finish. I am also adept at drawing cityscapes, portraits, and abstract work in charcoal, conte, pastel, China marker, ink, colored pencils, and graphite.

Whether a piece is representational of a specific subject or demonstrates an abstracted concept, my goal for creating art is twofold: 

1 - Allow each recipient and viewer to feel connected with and understood, regardless of subject matter or technique

2 - Put something original into the world that answers subconscious questions, leaving a lasting conscious impression of beauty and satisfaction

• Nationality: UNITED STATES
• Date of birth : 1978
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary American Artists