Teresa Olavarria blends scientific curiosity with emotional awareness to create multilevel representations of her personal experiences.  She specializes in one-of-a-kind sculptures made of metal, vitreous enamels, glass, stone and found objects. Carefully chosen materials mimic the strength, fragility and elusive qualities of the subject conveyed. Light, shadow, color and dimension are used with intent. The use of metaphors, similes and puns add meaning and depth to her imagery. Her sculpture, Tinnitus, features a cast bronze ear with a cross-section of the inner ear housed within an open frame. The cochlea is represented with a metallized ammonite and wire "soundwaves" emanate tightly through a dark steel corridor.  The piece aptly describes the unrelenting high frequency noise she experiences.

She has resisted the push to work larger and to make duplications. The intimate scale and uniqueness of each creation invite introspection. Even when conveying uncomfortable experiences such the agony of war, or the struggle for influence and identity within a relationship, the pieces are quietly powerful, eliciting empathy and self-reflection. Her artistic practice is balanced with ventures into two-dimensional work in metal enameling, photography and ink painting.

website: tolavarr.com

Instagram: @tolavarr