Clairissa Stephens explores a sense of place and relationship to the landscape through her artwork. Her work is influenced by research of mapping, weather patterns, climate change, and extreme natural environments. She investigates relationships between macro and micro elements of the natural world, working primarily in painting, drawing and sculpture. In her most recent work, she explores the value of water as a precious resource. These artworks involve the visualization of hydrology, climate change and its relationship to the high desert.
Stephens holds a BA in Painting and Drawing from Portland State University (2008) and a MFA in Interdisciplinary Studio Art from the University of Nevada, Reno (2014). She has attended artist residencies at SÍM, PLAYA, Black Rock Desert, and Leland Iron Works. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally including: SÍM Gallery (Reykjavík, Iceland), WAIS Divide Research Station (Antartica), Museum of the North (Fairbanks, AK), Haldan Art Gallery (South Lake Tahoe, CA), Chehalem Cultural Center, (Newberg, OR), Pacific Northwest College of Art (Portland, OR), Umqua Valley Arts Association (Roseburg, OR), Sierra Arts (Reno, NV), and MoNA (LaConner, WA) to name a few. Stephens currently lives and works in Oregon City, OR.
