Finding The River
Solo Exhibition, February 2026
Fairbanks Arts, Fairbanks, AK
Obsidian
10.5" x 8" x 16"
Finding The River
Finding The River is an exhibition of hand-built ceramic sculptural pieces that represent my journey of re-finding myself after a major life change - of finding my river.
My work explores how our lives are like rivers. Our life-river symbolizes our life’s journey: changes, growth, resilience, and continuous movement. Through the passage of time on our journey, we adapt, grow spiritually, and experience times of powerful ever changing currents. There are even times to slow down and reflect on our own inner personal world and experiences. Over the last year, I have gone internally to rediscover my inner world and to reacquaint myself with who I am outside of the roles and labels. These roles and labels are forever a part of us, however, what lies deeper beyond the expectations is what I have been excavating and exploring and rediscovering pieces of myself that I should have not left behind.
The sculptural work for this show has been created from the inside out, bringing my own journey to life. My internal landscape comes through my hands and into the clay. The work is primarily ceramic, a material that connects me to the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. This medium grounds me. It calls me to soften, to listen, to live more slowly, and to live with intention.
This journey is a deep dive into uncharted territory, holding moments of fear and uncertainty, but it also offers excitement, adventure, and discovery. Through this transformation, I am guided by the rhythms of nature and the wisdom of the earth. My symbolic language often includes undulating lines, representing movement of life's unfolding exploration. Spirals recur in my work, symbolizing cycles of growth and the patterns we repeat until the lesson is learned. Like river eddies, we spin in place until we emerge changed, evolved, ready to continue our journey downstream. Life is never still, it is in constant motion and a spiral of transformation.
This phase of my life-river journey is just beginning and will see me through the rest of my life. I look forward to the joy, growth and love this adventure will take me on.
Olena Ellis
