work samples
10 images from Elsa Hoffman
The Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Visual Arts
omen armchair
steel, pigmented concrete, crushed brick, quartz and pink granite, leather
19" x 29" x 28.75"
2024
This chair was an exercise in addressing challenging new technical processes and a meditation on the importance of moving slow. While working in the quiet pace of winter, I was inspired by a snake digesting a large meal; a reminder that growth sometimes requires stillness. From the darkness of winter emerged something ornate and meaty - a biomorphic form that holds the tension between rest and restlessness.
This chair integrates intuitive concrete sculpting on steel armatures with ornamental cut metal and upholstery. The starting point of the piece was the forged and plasma cut curved seat pan, then I formed, plasma cut and welded steel to create the structure and framework for concrete application. After curing, I ground the pigmented concrete with masonry wheels to refine the form, polish the cut metal designs and expose cross-sections of the aggregate, referencing terrazzo traditions of transforming construction rubble into polished surfaces. I created curved and carved wooden inserts to house the upholstery on the seat and backrest.
chaise
steel, pigmented concrete, crushed brick
77" x 30.5" x 17"
2022
I made this piece of furniture during my residency at The Steel Yard in Providence, RI. The construction was an experiment of the technical capacity of the materials and processes I had been experimenting with using concrete and steel. The design was inspired by ornamental architectural features in the neighborhood where I stayed in Providence.
byrd side table
steel, pigmented concrete, crushed pink quartz
20”L x 14.5” W x 18.5” T
2023
This piece was constructed by making a steel armature and directly applying pigmented concrete onto the armature. After the concrete was cured, I used a grinding wheel to carve the final form. This piece is a contemplation of positive and negative space of mass and line drawing. The work includes pink granite aggregate from scraps from sculptor, Matt Byrd.
de maison tiled panels
steel, pigmented concrete, crushed brick
144" x 48" x 1.5"
2023
This piece was commissioned by De Maison Selections, a wine importing business in Chapel Hill, NC, for their conference room. The work was inspired by Spanish tile designs and ornamental architectural details in the region. The work includes brick aggregate from a winery in Spain.
couple
metal stamps: plasma cut and welded steel, 71” x 38” x 1/16”
textile print: bleach, cotton canvas, 59" x 100"
2023
This work is made up of 27 pieces that assembled together form one large image. The cut metal stamps are a companion piece with a textile print made from direct printing the stamps onto canvas.
RuSH Clinic Cut Metal Mural
plasma cut stainless steel
31' x 8' x 1/16"
2024
This piece was a collaboration with Malawian artist, MIchael Kapalamula. Commissioned by the University of North Carolina to decorate the facade of a new reproductive health clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi. In 5 weeks, Kapalamula and I designed, fabricated and installed the work on-site in Lilongwe. The work was inspired by the bustling urban scene that surrounds the clinic in Old Town, patterns of STI pathogens under microscopes and the incredible vibrant patterns of Malawian fashion.