Known for creating surreal, emotionally resonant worlds, Bernstein’s paintings, charcoal drawings, and mixed-media works invite viewers into spaces where playfulness, mystery, hope, despair, connection, and tension coexist. Her process is deeply intuitive, emerging from subconscious exploration rather than formal planning.

“The impulse of creative energy is filtered through the awareness of the artist and ultimately expressed in whatever medium the artist chooses,” Bernstein explains. “For me, the purpose of art has always been about discovery and exploration — uncovering and giving voice to what is inside.”

Trained as a painter, Bernstein has worked across multiple media over a decades-long creative career. After early study at Syracuse University School of Fine Arts and the New York School of Interior Design, she continued her education through independent studies and workshops, including work with Winthrop University and the Vermont Studio School.

Originally based in New York City, Bernstein later moved to Charlotte, where she exhibited widely and received an Emerging Artist Grant from the Arts and Science Council. Her career has included gallery representation in Atlanta as well as exhibitions throughout the region.

In 2001, Bernstein relocated to Hendersonville, where she explored fiber arts and one-of-a- kind felted clothing while participating in the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Piedmont Craftsmen. Over the last decade she has returned full-time to painting and drawing, describing the work as a continuing journey “full of surprises, challenges, and beauty.”

Her exhibition history includes shows at venues such as Ohio State University at Mansfield, Davidson College, UNC Charlotte, GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art, Spirit Square Center for the Arts, and Hendersonville Art League.

This new exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to experience Bernstein’s evolving visual language — a body of work rooted in intuition, imagination, and the deep exploration of inner landscapes.

About the Artist

Elynn Bernstein is a painter and mixed-media artist whose work bridges surreal imagery and emotional narrative. Her creative practice spans painting, drawing, and fiber arts, with decades of exhibition experience across the Southeast and beyond.