ABOUT ELKE SAVALA
bio
Elke Savala was born and raised in Munich, Germany, where she earned a BA in Fashion Design from the Meisterschule für Mode.
After moving to New York, Elke continued her design education at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
She then created a line of wearable art and accessories. Elke shifted her interest to painting and continued education at Parsons School of Design.
Elke eventually relocated to the Bay Area and continued her art education at Berkeley City College (BCC) in the Multimedia Arts Department, studying digital photography and printmaking.
Life events led Elke to to pursue her other passion—the healing arts. She studied various mind-body therapies extensively. Particular areas of her interest are shamanism and the Vedic sciences. Elke has been in private practice at Shakti Home since 2000.
She relocated to Munich in 2021.
Elke combines her passion for art, design and healing. She has redesigned homes and businesses, including yoga studios and healing spaces. She utilises Biophilic
and energetic Feng Shui principles for intentional space design.
Elke is fascinated by the psychological effects of sensory perception, in particular the response to color.
Creating eco-friendly and sustainable environments are core values.
Elke enjoys making artwork using traditional materials, including water and oil media, as well as digital photography. Here painting are influenced by symbolism and abstract expressionism, she enjoys the work of Artists like Paul Klee, Hilma Klint and Gerhard Richter, among many others.
Elke likes to experiment with diverse subject matter in here work. Mythology, anthropology, color psychology, tantra, the vedas and shamanism inspire her to create works with hidden depth and meaning.
Elke’s artwork has been shown in various galleries and venues and is part of private art collections.
Elke has also curated shows and art collections internationally.
STATEMENT
I don’t sketch or have a plan when I paint abstractly.
I allow myself to be wild and free like composing a jazz improvisation.
I am looking for a pleasing rhythm to emerge. I love the physicality of applying the paint, by any means necessary, to achieve the aesthetic and energetic effect that satisfies my craving for color and texture.
I am inspired by symbols and archetypes of the collective unconscious as I aspire to create art that has transformational potential. My training in color therapy informs my palette and I am aware of the visceral effect
of particular color frequencies.
At times, I love to indulge in applying the paint in thick layers, creating vibrant color and texture that engages the senses. In other moods, I make translucent color washes to create ethereal worlds. Exploring other realms of reality and states of consciousness are recurring themes.
I weave symbolic elements into my images that reveal a secret language and meaning to the close observer.
As the Creatrix, I search for Life’s poetic essence that remains a mystery and capture it on canvas or paper.
It’s like a treasure hunt to walk around with a camera and find interesting rhythms, color, light and shapes.
I love the spontaneity of capturing a moment in time.
I especially enjoy photographing the rich tapestry of culture, people, animals, historic sites and landscapes while traveling too exotic places like India, Cuba, Jamaica and Peru.
Through the photo lens I see the world with fresh eyes and seek enchantment in places where it is not always obvious. Studio photography is more constrained, but it enables me to create my own world.
I like to take close-ups of little treasures in nature like rocks, gemstones, sea shells and feathers, magnifying their natural beauty.
I also enjoy taking pictures of healing tools from my holistic practice, eatables and portraits of interesting people.
I feel a deep sense of wonder for all of creation in its infinite variations. Recognising the fragility of life, my goal
is to inspire people to preserve and protect.
