Alysa Cantor is an artist and arts therapist living in the mountains of Boone, NC.

I'm inspired by the transformative power of art for healing and connection. I'm inspired by my new home in the mountains, with a river and forest and meadow at my doorstep, where I first experienced all four seasons immersed in nature. I'm inspired by my forest collections—mushrooms, ferns, snakeskins, dead insects, and leaves—and am obsessively learning the names of everything around me and how this unique ecosystem works.

For nearly a decade I have primarily worked in the grounding medium of clay, with a special interest in alternative firing techniques. I view these processes as a collaboration with nature, as intention can influence a piece but fire, air and chance creates its final form.

More recently, I have explored photographic printmaking, experimenting with cyanotypes and lumen prints. In this way, I feel like a medium between the forest and the sun, facilitating a beautiful, unpredictable collaboration.

In all my work, you will find a fascination with the natural environment and a desire to witness it in new ways. I explore how the continual cycle of deaths and rebirth within nature influences the human experience in terms of memory, legacy, and relationships. My use of organic materials in various media underlies my personal journey in reconnecting and co-creating with the natural world, particularly in this time of pandemic isolation and cultural strife.