Elena Gans-Pfister is a fiber sculptor and installation-based artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Xe/They grew up learning a variety of hand fiber processes, which include; cross-stitch, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and much more. These are the tools used to create xe’s/their bold and expressive work inspired by micro and marine biology. Gans-Pfister graduated from the University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft and Material Studies with a concentration in Fibers and Textiles in 2021.


My work is a form of kinesthetic and visual processing inspired by micro and marine biology. I start working before I can conceive of the work’s conclusion. Following the compulsions and obsessions evolves into bold and expressive sculptural and/or installation work. These studies include exploring pattern, color, and texture, which is not limited to a single mode of media or technique. Intuitively working through touch by manipulating, shaping or forming, distorting and tessellating are the mechanisms of my practice.