Artist Statment
I am a conceptual artist creating three-dimensional mixed media scenes that spark conversations on topics such as immigration, climate change, and social justice. While an international upbringing predisposes me to select universal topics and to incorporate references from other cultures, my palette and sense of design strongly derive from my Venetian heritage.
My scenes incorporate a segment of a necklace I designed into scenes crafted with dollhouse miniatures,fabrics, and other commercially manufactured items. Though these items may seem impersonal, the ones selected are symbolic, with deeply personal meanings.
Rather than criticize or preach, I invite dialogue, fostering awareness and empathy by highlighting common challenges. My detailed, small-scale scenes encourage viewers to approach. I further encourage them to engage by framing the scenes with museum glass which creates the illusion of being present at the scene.
When converting assemblages into installations, I invite viewers not only to approach but to become fully immersed in the experience. With both my assemblages and my installations, my intention is to cultivate
a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the universal human experiences that connect us.
Artist Biography
Vivian Cavalieri is a visual artist with a studio on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Her three-dimensional miniature scenes prompt conversations on a range of global issues including immigration and social justice. Her work has appeared in numerous group exhibitions in the US and abroad, including Los Angeles, Paris, Venice, and Rome. Her first solo exhibition is scheduled for January 2025. She was long
listed for the 2024 Visual Art Open and short-listed for the 2024 John Richardson French Residency 1 Award. Recent publications include Suboart (December 2023), Art Seen (February 2024), Modern Renaissance Magazine (July 2024), and the Summer 2024 issues of Collect Art, Artists Responding To…and Forget-Me-Not Press (Wretched), and “Vivian Cavalieri: Merging Personal Memory with Global Issues” at AATONAU.com (November 2024). Cavalieri graduated from Harvard University (BA, Fine Arts) and the New York University School of Law. She is represented by Hambly & Hambly Gallery, Northern Ireland, UK.
