All Reaching Up

Canadian Paper artist Elena Skoreyko Wagner obtained a bachelor of fine arts from York University in Toronto in 2007, but it took nearly ten years, a master's degree in occupational therapy, two children, and two overseas moves for her to find her voice as an artist in the most obvious place! The very place she spent countless hours as a child, amidst the joy of scissors, glue, and some bright snippets of paper.

Through intricate, intimate hand-cut paper collages, Elena’s artwork celebrates the magic hidden in everyday life. Using lovingly collected bits of paper imbued with their own histories, she assembles poetic images illustrating personal stories, emotional experiences, and the little moments that sparkle in everyday life and make it all worthwhile.

Her work is both relatable focusing on ordinary life and the many foibles and challenges that come with being human, and transporting, as it captures the wonder and magic that exist there, if one only takes a moment to notice.

Elena works as a fine artist and freelance illustrator, with a breadth that includes three-dimensional paper installation, animated short film, and books. Her work has recently been seen on Brain Pickings, in Flow Magazine, and on the New York Times online.

She currently resides in York, UK with her husband, and two spirited children, who provide endless discoveries of joy in the midst of mundanity and chaos!