Artist Statement
“Without cultural heritage and diversity, we cannot be individuals. Where we come from is not nearly as important as whom we come from. Without the necessary tools to understand each of our own cultural heritage, we cannot begin to know ourselves. Discovering who we are and who brought us to this point is the joy and the purpose of creative expression. Without that creative voice many of us cannot reach out and touch others with our message.”
About Elisa Racelis Boughner
Elisa is presently the owner and soul artist at her gallery, Artifex Studio in Glenview, Illinois. She has received accolades for her original oil paintings and sculptures, as well as her work with gathering donations to many worthy organizations through the arts. She has had countless one woman shows across the nation and internationally. Most recently installing a 40’ metal and glass sculpture in the new Glenview Community Ice Center, and a large 5’ x 4’ painted stained fused glass window in Rush University Medical Center, Chicago. A highlight being the 2015 collaboration with nine other Filipino/Filipino-American artists to bring individual works as well as two murals to the Field Museum of Chicago as well as the Erehwon Art Center in the Philippines. Her works are owned and have been displayed by such organizations as Saks Fifth Avenue, Rush University Medical Center, Northwestern Plastic Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Catholic Charities, Wintrust Bank, Busey Bank, as well as private collectors in the United States and abroad. Her ability to combine bright vibrant colors within her subject matter, whether it is a still life with flowers, a portrait, or a landscape, has garnered praise from art critics in Chicago, New York, and internationally. Elisa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from Northern Illinois University.
