Ilena Finocchi

Artist Statement

“Freak Show,” the new direction in my work, explores the social political aspects of freaks in our modern culture and games we play. Looking past the pop culture idea of “freak,” I am interested in looking at people that society considers the “norm” and exploring their greed and selfishness as our culture’s true freaks.

Game pieces are about exploring both the ideas of preciousness of artwork, and the consequences of destroying the ideas and content of each piece. A participatory look at the seriousness of what we are playing games with as a society and that we live in a time when humanity is valued much less than the almighty dollar.

Bio

Artist, Ilena Finocchi creates a variety of both personal and social political work. Ilena complete her Masters of Fine Arts degree from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2005. Ilena’s work has garnered the attention of national galleries and museums from the Museum of Art and Design in New York, SoFA Chicago to Art Basil in Miami. Her artwork has been published in numerous books and international magazines and is part of permanent collections, both public and private across the country. In the summer of 2006 Ilena was a resident at the prestigious Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. In 2009 Ilena was chosen for the McKnight Residency at Northern Clay Arts Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ilena continues to lecture and give workshops across the country and she has taught for nearly a decade at the college level. Currently, Ilena is working on a majolica tile, public art commission in Lodi, California.