About Ellen Coffey

I began experimenting and studying sculpture during a period of personal crisis more than thirty years ago. At the same time, as a psychologist and family therapist, I worked with people struggling to make better lives for themselves. These experiences come forth in my sculptures. I am interested in the relationships between people and their surroundings. I find that fired clay is the best medium for my work. I often start with photographs and then abstract relationships and meanings from them to give wider personal and political significance to individual moments. Usually, I finish my sculptures with a dried brush acrylic process. I have begun to cast bronze sculptures in Italy where I work part of the year. I am also experimenting with combining various clays and stains and using molds for my bench series.. My most recent sculpture projects include: Large hanging cartouche plaques telling symbolic stories of peoples’ struggles. The cartouches and the use of symbols are inspired by my recent visit to Egypt. Story dolls capturing modern family diversity. Bas reliefs of day-to-day life in Italy where I live part of the year. The sculptures I have submitted for this show are part of a series based on photographs of people who live on the street and face homelessness in the Bay Area. Recent Exhibitions 2013 Compound Gallery “Scout Oakland”, Oakland CA. 2014 Expressions Gallery” Homelessness Sculptures” Oakland. 2015 Compound Gallery “Old Things”, Oakland, C.A 2015 Harrington Gallery, “Bus stops “Pleasanton, 3rd prize. 2015 San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, “CA. Sculpture Slam”, San Luis Obispo, CA. 2015 Family Totem La Macina di San Cresci, Greve Italy. 2016 Drawings, La Macina di San Cresci, Greve, Italy. 2017 International Sculpture Show, Marin Artist Society Gallery, San Rafael, California. 2018 Berkeley Art Center Members Exhibition. 2018 Pottery Studio, Berkeley California. 2018 “ Bas Reliefs and Figures”, La Macina di San Cresci, Greve, Italy. 2019 Bronze, Totems and Bas Reliefs", La Macina di San Cresci 2019 Clay and Glass, Healdsburg Art Center, Healdsburg, CA.