Elise Vazelakis
Thirst, 2022
Reclaimed Yarn from Thrift Store Sweater, Plastic Bottles, Wire Mesh 120 x 60 x 72 in
This body of work, “Thirst,” was inspired by witnessing construction crews consuming and disposing of thousands of plastic water bottles. By incorporating this plastic, which would otherwise be abandoned, I became interested in data mapping my consumption. The single-use plastic in my art represents nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time, creating complex multilayered woven pieces. I encase the water bottles in reclaimed fiber to create these pieces, transforming what would otherwise be thrown out or recycled. By unraveling thrift store sweaters to make reclaimed yarn, I knit circular enclosures to house the water bottles. The unraveling of the sweaters is analogous to my life after the fire, as I make something new while destroying it at the same time, recreating my life in a different form.
Elise Vazelakis
A Practical Dreamer, 2023
Plastic Packaging, thread, Rope 120 x 60 x 72 in
A Practical Dreamer centers on the creation of a plastic cloth made by piecing together packaging materials, and through this process, I examined my own consumption habits. The triangular pattern of the cloth is a tribute to Buckminster Fuller's ideas about efficiency and the value of doing more with less. His philosophy has profoundly impacted my creative work, particularly evident in my primary exhibition piece titled A Practical Dreamer. This piece draws inspiration from Fuller's geodesic dome and his emphasis on sustainability and maximizing resources. To create this work, I repurposed discarded plastic packaging to construct a large dome structure, which I inverted and suspended from the ceiling to evoke a womb form. This inversion subverts the traditional dome shape and centers the focus on feminist ideals.
Elise Vazelakis
Thirst02 detail, 2022
Reclaimed Yarn from Thrift Store Sweater, Plastic Bottles, Wire Mesh 40 x 35 x 35 in
Vazelakis' artistic practice involves accumulating objects in her environment as a way of documenting things left behind, giving them an alternative life as a record of her history and the consequences of the climate crisis. Her piece “Thirst” was inspired by the construction crews consuming and disposing of thousands of water bottles while rebuilding her home that was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. To create this work, she collected hundreds of plastic water bottles left behind by the construction crews and knitted them with reclaimed yarn sourced from thrift store sweaters. Wire mesh was also used to create the structure of the piece. Through her use of repurposed materials, Vazelakis highlights the urgent need for sustainable practices and the impact of consumerism on the environment.
Elise Vazelakis
DRIVING WITH MY EYES CLOSED 1, 2024
Danish Paper Cord, (Stuffed with single-use plastic detritus) 45 x 37 x 24 in
Driving with My Eyes Closed transforms discarded Amazon envelopes by cutting them into continuous strands of yarn and twining them into sculptural forms. The slow, repetitive process reflects on consumption and contrasts with the immediacy we have come to expect.
Elise Vazelakis
DRIVING WITH MY EYES CLOSED 2, 2024
Amazon envelopes, T-shirt yarn, Danish paper cord, filled with single-use plastic 48 x 12 x 10 inches
Driving with My Eyes Closed transforms discarded Amazon envelopes by cutting them into continuous strands of yarn and twining them into sculptural forms. The slow, repetitive process reflects on consumption and contrasts with the immediacy we have come to expect.
Elise Vazelakis
Never the Same River 19, 2026
BioYarn (Sodium Aliginate, Glycerin, Water), Bioceramic (eggshells, alginate, water) 5.5 x 6 inches
Never the Same River explores impermanence and transformation through sculptural forms made from handmade bioyarn and other biomaterials. Inspired by the idea that we can never step into the same river twice, the series embraces materials that shrink, swell, soften, harden, and change over time. Rather than resisting these shifts, I allow the materials to have agency, making change an integral part of the work.
Elise Vazelakis
NEVER THE SAME RIVER 7, 2026
Bioplastic Yarn (Sodium Aliginate, Glycerin, Water) 8 x 5 x 7 inches
Never the Same River explores impermanence and transformation through sculptural forms made from handmade bioyarn and other biomaterials. Inspired by the idea that we can never step into the same river twice, the series embraces materials that shrink, swell, soften, harden, and change over time. Rather than resisting these shifts, I allow the materials to have agency, making change an integral part of the work.
Elise Vazelakis
Never the Same River 12 (detail), 2026
BioYarn (Sodium Aliginate, Glycerin, Water), Bioceramic (eggshells, alginate, water) 6 x 7 x 5.5 inches
Never the Same River explores impermanence and transformation through sculptural forms made from handmade bioyarn and other biomaterials. Inspired by the idea that we can never step into the same river twice, the series embraces materials that shrink, swell, soften, harden, and change over time. Rather than resisting these shifts, I allow the materials to have agency, making change an integral part of the work.
Elise Vazelakis
Never the Same River 12, 2026
Bioplastic Yarn (Sodium Aliginate, Glycerin, Water), Bioceramic (eggshells, alginate, water) 6 x 7 x 5.5 inches
Never the Same River explores impermanence and transformation through sculptural forms made from handmade bioyarn and other biomaterials. Inspired by the idea that we can never step into the same river twice, the series embraces materials that shrink, swell, soften, harden, and change over time. Rather than resisting these shifts, I allow the materials to have agency, making change an integral part of the work.
