Switzerland Instagram: @hitdecor_art Saatchi Art | Singulart
ARTISTIC PRACTICE
Elia Tera is a contemporary artist working primarily in soft pastel. Her practice explores emotion, inner states and the intangible qualities of nature, using the visible world as a means of expressing what cannot always be seen or articulated.
Rather than beginning with a subject, Tera often begins with an idea, a feeling or a word. Nature provides the imagery, while colour, light, atmosphere, composition and movement become tools for transforming it. A mountain can become an expression of permanence, a wave — energy, a flower — vulnerability.
Her work moves beyond the simple representation of nature towards its emotional presence: the atmosphere, tension and inner state contained within a moment. Each painting becomes an exploration of the relationship between the visible world and human experience.
For Tera, painting is an ongoing search for meaning, beauty and the essence hidden within the subject.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Honorary Exhibition Diploma — Artwork “Koi” Ambientarti IV, Hubart Gallery, Milan, Italy — June 2023
CURATORIAL & PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS
Träume in Pastell / Dreams in Pastel Founder, Curator & Lead Organiser Kunst Zürich Süd, Adliswil, Switzerland — 5–29 August 2026
Conceived and independently organised a group exhibition dedicated to contemporary soft pastel, bringing together artists from her studio and wider artistic community. Selected works by students were curated for inclusion in the exhibition.
MUSIC & VISUAL ART COLLABORATION
Alexander Margin — Music Dedicated to the Paintings of Elia Tera August 2022
Independent artistic collaboration with American musician Alexander Margin, who composed and performed original piano music inspired by Tera’s paintings, presenting the music together with a selection of her artworks.
PUBLICATIONS
Artistcloseup Contemporary Art Magazine — Issue #10 September 2023 Featured artist profile with three reproduced artworks.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Pastel Guild of Europe (PGE) Member — 2025–present
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Interior Designer & 3D Artist 2012–2017
Worked in interior design, specialising in colour, composition, materials and visual presentation. Created interior concepts and 3D visualisations, worked directly with private clients, and developed individual colour and material schemes for residential spaces.
The experience also included selecting artworks to complement interiors, strengthening her interest in the relationship between art, colour and space.
TEACHING & ARTISTIC EDUCATION
Founder & Art Educator — Independent Art Studio 2022–present
Runs an independent art studio offering art classes and soft pastel workshops for children and adults.
Since 2025, has conducted soft pastel workshops through Kunst Zürich Süd in Adliswil and at ArtCave Gallery in Zurich, focusing on colour, light, composition and the expressive possibilities of soft pastel.
Selected works by her students were curated for participation in Träume in Pastel / Dreams in Pastel, Kunst Zürich Süd, Adliswil — August 2026.
