【Solo Exhibition】 Elena “Awakening”
Artist | Elena
Title | “Awakening”
Dates | Friday, September 12 – Thursday, September 25, 2025
Venue | AND COLLECTION Contemporary Art (Omotesando Hills B2F)
AND COLLECTION Contemporary Art is pleased to present Elena’s solo exhibition “Awakening” at our gallery.
Statement
Elena is a contemporary artist who fuses the artistic style of Katsushika Hokusai with graceful colors to create a distinctive world of her own. Her brushwork and bold outlines—reminiscent of anime and manga—give vivid presence to her original character “Chibi-chan” while evoking the interconnectedness of human relationships and an inclusive vision of society.
In her 2023 solo exhibition “Prologue”, Elena took her first step in offering her presence to the world, marking the beginning of her artistic journey. The works, woven from resonant colors and dynamic brushstrokes, unfolded a vibrant world full of vitality—signaling the dawn of her first chapter. Now, the second chapter “Awakening” quietly begins. Beyond the expansion of her technique and expressive possibilities, a deeper transformation breathes within. It is the moment of softly rediscovering the joy of painting—nurtured deep within her being—not to meet anyone’s expectations, but to listen closely to her own heart and move her hand freely in response to the impulses that arise. The sensation is quiet yet powerful, like awakening from a deep sleep.
In this exhibition, Elena introduces new elements alongside her vivid and pop-inspired style: gentle expressions that blur like watercolors, softly seeping into the surface. This represents another voice that has always lived within her. The contrasts of stillness and motion, lightness and depth, tenderness and strength—within these oscillations lies an honest reflection of who Elena is today. She hopes that the soft fluctuations born from this dialogue will resonate with each viewer’s own world, quietly awakening forgotten emotions and fragments of memory.
Born in 1998, Elena graduated from Gakushuin Women’s College. She is an artist who blends the essence of ukiyo-e—a traditional beauty of Japan—with a pop, original sensibility and a contemporary perspective to create new forms of art. Her style is characterized by vivid colors painted directly without preliminary sketches, guided purely by intuition, giving each work its own rhythm and vitality.
The character “Chibi-chan,” often depicted in her works, originated as a doodle during a math class when Elena was in junior high school. Born from the wavering emotions of adolescence and an imaginative inner world, Chibi-chan has since grown into what can be called the muse of Elena’s art. With her large eyes and slightly mysterious yet charming expression, Chibi-chan gently accompanies viewers, bringing color and comfort into their daily lives.
Elena’s works embody her wish to never lose a pure heart or childlike spirit, even as an adult, and to affirm the preciousness of living authentically amid diversity. These sentiments awaken nostalgia and playfulness in the hearts of viewers, evoking empathy and warmth through her art.
Exhibition Details
Elena Solo Exhibition “Awakening”
Dates: Friday, September 12 – Thursday, September 25, 2025
Venue: AND COLLECTION Contemporary Art (Omotesando Hills B2F)
Artist in Gallery: September 12 (Fri), 13 (Sat), 14 (Sun), 15 (Mon), 20 (Sat), 21 (Sun), 23 (Tue), 25 (Thu)
Please note that the above schedule is subject to change without prior notice.