by Sarah Penello
all images provided by Elisa Valenti
Elisa Valenti’s works are a feast for the eyes, depicting voluptuous beings- joyfully embodied.
Her subjects “honor their vessels,” “delighting in in the beauty and vigor of their real, luscious forms.”
I first encountered Elisa’s work at The Other Art Fair in 2019. Her paintings drew me in from afar- the choices of colors and forms evoking the languid warmth of a sun drenched Sicilian afternoon.
As I got closer, I took in the many scenes of ample bodied women, lounging amongst lush plants and ornate neoclassical iconography, and immediately wished I could join them.
Her work venerates “the celestial mounds and valleys of the female form.”
These deliciously inviting vignettes perfectly capture the essence of the woman who created them.
Valenti’s paintings are an expression of her own journey to self love, as well as a love letter to all humans with larger bodies- rejected and underrepresented by our current social paradigm.
In her own words,
“Each brushstroke highlighting the curve of a hip or roll of flesh is an act of defiance –
a celebration of radical worthiness.”
Recently, Elisa has expanded her practice to include sculptures. Drawing inspiration from revered ancient feminine forms, such as the Paleolithic Venus of Willendorf.
Of this she says,
”I depict the female nude almost exclusively in my work. She has been judged, scrutinized, and represented as subpar through the lenses of male artists and viewers for generations.
Unlike the sleek, sculpted bodies of the Greco-Roman era, however, I find the most inspiration from the Venus of Willendorf because her body resembles my own. While this once-revered symbol of beauty, fetish, and fertility no longer aligns with the prevailing standards of beauty today, the bodies that resemble it didn’t go away. They still exist.
Thus, my ongoing series pays homage not only to this robust, historic figure with ample breasts, a round abdomen, and wide hips, but also, all bodies like it.
Through my work, I propose a new ideal that allows for the inclusion of a diverse array of forms, shapes, and sizes by creating images to celebrate the female nude regardless of any flaws and without ‘idealized’ proportions. In my paintings, drawings, and sculptures, my ultimate aim is to guide your eyes to see beauty where you may not have seen it before.”
With her new collection of sculptures, Valenti depicts the beauty of bodies that some may consider “flawed.”
Her works portrays rolls and asymmetries, even scars.
Challenging the conditioning of society’s current standards of beauty, Valenti’s sculptures are a celebration of real bodies – gorgeous as they are.
You can purchase her work at Elisa Valenti Studio.
About Elisa Valenti:
Elisa Valenti is a self-taught contemporary figurative painter whose works delight in the beauty and vigor of real, luscious bodies.
Valenti’s paintings are a sensuous celebration of form. Voluptuous figures reach, twist and revel in a Fauvist dance across the canvas, honoring their vessels. The bodies Valenti paints serve as a looking glass for those whose own bodies have been underrepresented in modern and contemporary art.
Growing up in a culture where body-positivity did not yet exist and worthiness could only be equated with thinness, it wasn’t until Valenti started painting bodies that looked like hers that her journey of self love began.
Utilizing arresting colors evocative of the Fauves and Cubist color-blocking, Valenti adapts two iconic styles pioneered by men and flips the gaze inward. As well, she draws inspiration from her mother’s career as a lingerie sample-maker for Valentino and Gianfranco Ferre, venerating the celestial mounds and valleys of the female form. Each brushstroke highlighting the curve of a hip or roll of flesh is an act of defiance – a celebration of radical worthiness.
Based in Queens, New York, Valenti is a daughter of immigrants. She studied fine arts and art history at the High School of Art and Design. She holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy from St. John’s University.
Valenti’s work has been on display at Superfine! Fair and The Other Art Fair, as well as group exhibitions at Pop-Up Home (LA), PxP Contemporary, Showfields and On Center Gallery. Most recently, Valenti debuted a solo exhibition at Established Gallery titled “Radical Worthiness.”
