About

Bio

Lena Coletto is a Bay Area based Sculptor born in Concord, California in 1988. Coletto graduated with a BA in Studio Art from Mills College in 2021, where she received the Dahmers Sculpture award, The Eleanor Crum Prize for Ceramic Excellence, and was awarded the Dana Wellhausen Family Award for her senior thesis exhibition. She was nominated For the Yale Norfolk School of Art 2020, and after graduation was granted the Regina Brown Undergraduate Fellowship from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).

In 2022, Coletto participated  in the Dia de los Muertos exhibition at SOMARTS Gallery and the SFMOMA Soapbox Derby. In 2023, she exhibited in Things on Things on Things at the California Institute of Integral Studies and held a solo show at the Hot House Gallery in San Francisco. She currently works as a Ceramicist / Studio Assistant in a Bay Area based Studio.

Artist Statement

My work uses sculpture to create still life portraiture through the expression of objects. I use objects as a visual vocabulary that people can connect with. The familiarity of everyday objects is used as an entry point for heavier subjects. My artwork explores themes of addiction, emotion, and healing. As someone who has struggled with a dependence on substances, I am compelled to explore the many facets of substance abuse. I am fascinated with the idea of addiction, obsession and the many ways it manifests through us.   

Gathering, building and assembling are a large part of my process. I gather a variety of found objects such as furniture and other accessories to create familiar domestic settings such as bedrooms, bathrooms and outside spaces. I build with clay, plaster and wood. My sculptures are often anthropomorphic, oversized, colorful and emotive. With a heavy emphasis on ceramic busts, alcohol paraphernalia and consumer products. These ordinary products find their way into our homes and daily lives becoming a part of our story. This type of shared experience is used as a catalyst for connection.

Lastly, I assemble the sculptures and found objects to be in conversation with one another to create a larger narrative. These recognizable spaces are meant to create an intimate perspective and immersive experience for the viewer.