Elisa Cantarelli Italian, b. 1981

Elisa Cantarelli was born in Fidenza (PR) in 1981.

She attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where she met Claudio Rosi Degli Esposti, who became her mentor. In 2006 she won the National Prize of Arts (Decoration), exhibiting at Arte Fiera Bologna 2007.

She collaborates with several galleries, both in Italy and in Japan, taking part in group and solo exhibitions in Italy, England, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. Her works have been exhibited in numerous art fairs, such as Arte Fiera Bologna, Paris Photo, Art Fair Tokyo, ArtVerona, ArtePadova, Affordable Art Fair (Milan, Hamburg, Hong Kong). In 2009 she moved to London, where she still lives and works.

“Dotting”is the name of the technique that distinguishes her research. A meditative process in which the drops fall, colour on colour, tone on tone, creating a three-dimensional surface of dots that involves the user both from the point of view of visual and tactile perception. The artist loves to experiment with her “dots” using different materials and media, trying to push the limits to find out where her work can go.

“Sustainability” with reuse, relocation and transformation are at the core of her most recent production. Giving new artistic identity to objects of common use is the starting point of the new line of research. For Parma Capitale della Cultura she designed We are Plastic - Message in a Bottle, a collective action that can generate change. Actively directed towards the connection between messages in bottles and people, she still collaborates with companies and clients who support and embrace the values she communicates.

Her latest work was "We are Plastic | Message in a Bottle", a temporary public installation between art and recycling for Parma Capital of Italian Culture 2020-21.