Elizabeth Saloka Paints Groceries and Gadgets onto Rocks for Upcoming Solo Show in Bushwick
Elizabeth Saloka, an artist from New York who was adopted from South Korea at the age of two and grew up in Minneapolis, creates art by transforming found rocks into representations of everyday items like groceries and gadgets. Her artistic journey began when she painted a rock to resemble a Nokia phone. After losing her marketing position during the pandemic, she took up waitressing and started selling her rock creations. Guided by her high school art teacher, Brad Nuorala, Saloka collects rocks from streets and construction sites without making any modifications. Her artwork features items like Bonne Maman jam, Tootsie Rolls, Heinz ketchup, and Darwin, a monkey in an Ikea. Upcoming events include a solo exhibition at Dog House Gallery in Bushwick, a group show by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, a rock version of 'Is it cake?' in London, and a project recreating her mother's 80s kitchen.
Key facts
- Elizabeth Saloka is a New York-based artist adopted from South Korea at age two and raised in suburban Minneapolis.
- Her rock-painting practice began when she found a rock in New Jersey and painted it into a Nokia phone.
- She lost her marketing copywriter job during the pandemic and then waitressed while selling rocks.
- She credits high school art teacher Brad Nuorala as a key influence despite not attending art school.
- She sources rocks from streets and construction dump sites and does not alter their form.
- Her subjects include Bonne Maman jam, Tootsie Roll, Sweet'n Low, Heinz ketchup, macaroni cheese, Blockbuster video, a remote control, and Darwin the Ikea monkey.
- A solo exhibition at Dog House Gallery at The Brooklyn Comedy Collective in Bushwick, curated by Dr Lisa Levy, opens this month.
- She will participate in Public Utility Commission at Space Gallery in Pittsburgh and a rock version of 'Is it cake?' at Enclave in London in late October.
Entities
Artists
- Elizabeth Saloka
- Brad Nuorala
- Dr Lisa Levy
Institutions
- Dog House Gallery
- The Brooklyn Comedy Collective
- The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
- Space Gallery
- Enclave
- Ikea
- Bonne Maman
- Tootsie Roll
- Sweet'n Low
- Heinz
- Blockbuster
- Old Dutch
- Creamette
- Creative Boom
Locations
- New York
- United States
- South Korea
- Minneapolis
- New Jersey
- Bushwick
- Pittsburgh
- London
- United Kingdom
- Toronto
- Canada
- Minnesota