The Art of Carving Bone.
Bone carving is as old as civilisation itself. Archaeology has shown that bone implements and personal adorment have been part of human development from its origins.
There have been complex cultural aspects to bone carving and this art is connected with deeply held ancient legends and myths in all human cultures.
Harmony of form and materials is innately significant, but carving is far more meaningful than the mere fashioning of pretty things to adorn people or decorate places. Many artifacts have embellishing features that are clearly not necessary to their function, leading us to conclude that there is more to these artifacts than merely materialistic importance. Rather, we are led to perceive that there is a strong connection between carving and spiritual aspects of human existence.
Many cultures, as in Africa, among the Celts, and in the Pacific islands, see objects as capable of having powers or magical qualities that are beyond their form or their concrete uses.
That power can come from various sources, such the materials used, the symbol chosen, the spirit of the animal involved, and from the people who came in contact with the object. Bone is very good at absorbing this energy because it is a porous material and because it is intrinsic to life.
Elena has been very deeply inspired by the Maori Pacific islands tradition and she intends her little sculptures to capture the spirit connected with that ancient art source.
Each piece is marked with the "Three Dots" that symbolyze harmony and balance. .
