Edelweiss Calcagno

About the Artist

My primary interest is in abstract art and I use a variety of techniques in painting, printmaking and sculpture and all kinds of material, including recycled ones, in order to convey my ideas. I explore how the intersection of different planes and line shapes can create illusions within distorted shapes, objects, letters, and words. Layering is an intrinsic element in my work; creating multiple perspectives gives the viewer more than one way to view my art. I use abstract art as a tool to talk about abuse, the layers representing aspects of abuse and abuse survivors. By addressing abuse through my art, I strive to make people more aware of this taboo subject so that they can better understand and talk about it. I use different symbols to talk about this subject, such as the destructive act of tearing up or scratching my own prints and paintings, designs that mimic jail bars, feathers that represent bleeding wounds, and the layering of a variety of colors representing the changes in the life of a person.

Artist's Statement

I use different techniques, some of them mixed together to create new unique techniques. My art is formed by adding layer after layer, producing extraordinary illusions making the mind get involved in the labyrinth of colors and materials. Viewers never stop discovering new things - there is something fresh each time they look at my pieces. My source of inspiration is that a picture can speak a thousand words. I have seen many times how my art can touch people. I believe in the freedom of rights and equality for all, and these beliefs impact my artwork and my message. My art does not judge, but it is honest, even when this means stating what I see there is a strong message. I trust my art because the word that comes out from it is a positive word. I discovered the beauty of creating sculptures and prints in addition to doing paintings, etching and restoring art and now they have become part of who I am. There are the infinite possibilities hidden in sculpture. Between mixed media, aluminum casting, and more I love to touch any type of material and find new ways to use them. To the point that I created art pieces even from broken toys or any type of recyclable material that have a particular shape, color and material. It is so much fun to destroy and reconstruct in a new original form that allows people to dream, or to just ask themselves questions about the piece. The pleasure I get from doing the pieces is infinite and when people stop in front of it then my goal has been reached. This is what has been said on a Magazine in the UK: Edelweiss Calcagno produces illusions, making the mind float in a labyrinth using different techniques and layers of material. Each time viewers explore they will discover new things. Edelweiss supports human rights and freedom for all, which influences her artwork; she states things that are wrong in the world in a positive way. Another magazine in New York, USA, said: There is an impressive amount of versatility in the works of Edelweiss Calcagno. Employing a range of media that runs from gouache to pastels to lithography and sculptures, she expresses a powerful vision that comes through in a surprising variety of ways. With a bold sense of line, color and movement, her images incorporate elements of realism, Cubism and Expressionism and abstract art. But her vibrant pieces transform those styles through their dynamic compositions and the mixture of what Edelweiss Calcagno calls “total freedom” with a highly disciplined technique. “My art is not simple,” she says. Rather, it is the result of a meticulous process in which she builds each piece up layer by layer to produce a “labyrinth of colors and materials.” Inspired by her faith in Jesus and a desire to expose “the injustice that I see,” her images convey a passion for life that unifies the influences that come to play in them. Whether expressing abstract concepts or rendering lifelike human figures, she gives each image a sense of space, light and physicality that pulls viewers in, and then subtly rewards their attention. Quote by Erik Till “Sane is the insanity most called normality put forth by society” www.edelweisscalcagno.com +1-240-701-9100