Elena Disabato has shown artwork at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Galapagos Art Space (Williamsburg BK), several international digital shows, and multiple galleries and art-friendly environments in the US.

BIO

I am an artist and creative designer living in the Near West Side 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. 

After that I paused my creative work to develop a career as a marketing professional in Architecture, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Sustainability, and Interior Design. Over 12 years I worked my way up to Director level with a heavy cost on my personal well-being and creativity.

A new building management company, The Flats, started opening spaces around Chicago in 2019, and a friend associated with one of the owners offered me a popup gallery show at their newest location. The theme was abstract, which I had never really done before.. So I made new personal work for the first time in over a decade, creating 8 new pieces in a style that set the tone for more original work to come.

In 2020 I lost my architecture marketing job due to the pandemic and swore it would be the last job I ever held in that field. I incorporated Red Kimono Design, Inc. that September and have been creating art and offering graphic & web design services to a wide range of clients ever since.

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: 

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

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

EDUCATION

Syracuse University

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, English Literature Minor
2000

DIPA Abroad Program, Florence, Italy
Art History, Painting
1999

FINE ART CV

EXHIBITS

2026 - BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER - Chicago, IL (US)
Pictures of You
Curated by Marci Rubin
-”The Past Inside The Present”

2025 - BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER - Chicago, IL (US)
The Landscape is Changing
Curated by Marci Rubin
-”Dystopian Dream”

2024 - LITTLE BROKEN GALLERY - Chicago, IL (US)
Featured solo art exhibit, 6 week run / Pop-up market at reception
-Original oil paintings, drawings + prints

2023 - BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER - Chicago, IL (US)
11th Annual Juried Art Competition
One of 70 exhibiting artists selected from 512 applicants
-”Gem II”

2023 - SAINT LUCIA’S - Chicago, IL (US)
1st solo art exhibit, 10 week run
-Watercolor and oil originals + prints

2022 - LIGHT SPACE + TIME GALLERY - Santa Fe, NM (US)
Online art competition, 6th Annual Patterns exhibit
10th in Painting out of497 international applicants
-”Chroma VI - Teardrop”

2022 (Ongoing) - PRIVATE MUSEUM - Ordino (Andorra)
NFTs minted on Coinbase blockchain

2022 - M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY - Milan (IT) + Fuerteventura (CI)
”ORRIZONTI TRASVERSALI” digital group show, in-person and the Metaverse
-“Several Circles - Kandinsky”

2022 - HAIRPIN ARTS CENTER - Chicago, IL (US)
”Back to the Beginning: A Retro-ish-Spective” group gallery show
-Created new series of paintings inspired by the artists who first inspired me.
Full catalog

2021 - RED BLUFF ART GALLERY - Red Bluff, CA (US)
Cats + Dogs online group show
-”Basil”

2021 - FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE - Chicago, IL (US)
ArtWalls show @ Workbox - Fulton Market location, Chicago, IL (F/W 2021-22)
-”Warm Composition”

2021 - HAIRPIN ARTS CENTER - Chicago, IL (US)
Group gallery show
Full catalog

2021 - FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE - Chicago, IL (US)
ArtWalls show @ Workbox - 420 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL (S/S 2021)
-”Warm Composition”

2021 - LIGHT SPACE + TIME GALLERY - Santa Fe, NM (US)
Online art competition, 5th Annual Patterns exhibit
7th overall / 4th in Painting out of 532 international applicants
-”Gem II”

2021 - FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE - Chicago, IL (US)
Group gallery show, Abstraction
-”Into the Frayed”

2021 - LAS LAGUNA ART GALLERY - Laguna Beach, CA (US)
Group online gallery show, Painterly
-”Into the Frayed”

2021 - SIDE STREET STUDIO ARTS - Elgin, IL (US)
Group juried gallery show for 8th anniversary exhibit, You Are Not the Boss of my Art
-”Into the Frayed on display”

2019 - FLATSstudio BUSH TEMPLE - Chicago, IL (US)
Abstract-themed gallery night
-5 original pieces created for exhibition
-BIO: http://flatsstudio.flatslife.com/item/elena-disabato/

2007  -  MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO - Chicago, IL (US)
Sustainable Architecture in Chicago // Massive Change
Facilitated participation with Farr Associates
-2 original pieces exhibited - Watercolor, mixed media
-Designed, managed team and constructed 3D exploded green roof

NEW YORK, NY / US

2001-2006  -  Art + Science, GALAPAGOS ART SPACE (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) 
Founding member of collective; hosted bi-monthly art and music events
Curated themed shows with 10+ rotating resident and guest artists    
-Exhibited 8 times

2005  - BAR @ BLEECKER/SULLIVAN (West Village, Manhattan)
Solo show
-8 pieces exhibited

2000  -  GALLERY @ BROADWAY/GRAND (SoHo, Manhattan)
Group show (3 artists)
Opportunity won via call for artists in Art in America magazine
-6 pieces exhibited

FLORENCE, TUSCANY / IT

1999  -  DIPA PROGRAM STUDIOS
End of year group show (10 artists)
-2 pieces exhibited - Oil on unstretched canvas

SYRACUSE, NY / US

2000  -  SPARK ART SPACE
Group show (5 artists)
Theme of technology obsolescence
-2 drawings exhibited

1997-2000  -  SHAFFER ART GALLERY
Annual student/faculty exhibition (20 artists)
-2 pieces exhibited each year

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