Artist’s Statement

I make art as a way to understand how life moves—how it fractures, reforms, and reveals meaning over time. My work is rooted in the belief that art imitates life, not by replicating what is seen, but by embodying its processes: change, tension, rhythm, and transformation.

I am drawn to the space where mystery and science meet. To me, science is simply a language for mystery—an attempt to map what we do not yet fully understand. In my work, I explore this through layered surfaces of wax, building and excavating as a way of mapping the unknown and the unseen. Each layer holds a record of time, much like geological strata or atmospheric shifts.

Using encaustic—an ancient medium of wax, pigment, air, and fire—I create visual references to water, landforms, and celestial systems. These elements are not depicted literally, but evoked through process. The work becomes an echo of natural and cosmic forces, shaped by heat, gravity, and chance. In this way, I am both imitating and collaborating with the natural world.

I am guided by curiosity, intuition, and a personal visual language of symbols. Through this work, I seek to bridge science, spirit, and human experience—using an ancient material vocabulary to express a contemporary search for meaning. In a time that often feels uncertain and fractured, I believe art is something we all need to lean toward—a way to reconnect, reflect, and find meaning. For me, making art is both meditation and message, grounded in my belief that art saves lives.

– Elise Wagner, 2026