Elina Frumerman is an interdisciplinary artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in the Soviet Union, her work is deeply influenced by her experience of immigrating as a refugee to the United States. Drawing on Soviet constructivism and early 20th century set design, her work explores themes of personal and collective memory, mythology and estrangement. Working across photography, sculpture, painting and installation, her practice explores possibilities for understanding not just her own cultural inheritance, but the broader ways we all engage with historical narratives.
Frumerman has presented solo exhibitions at the Jones Institute in San Francisco and participated in group exhibitions at the Berkeley Art Center, Coulter Gallery in Palo Alto, and SOMArts in San Francisco. Her installation "Stateless" was recently exhibited at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, SF. In 2024, Frumerman received the Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Award from the San Francisco Arts Foundation. Frumerman is currently an MFA candidate at Stanford University.
Exhibitions
2024 The Distance Between, Letter From the Network, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley CA
2024 The Distance Between, & Group exhibition, Coulter Gallery, Stanford, CA
2023 Stateless, Solo exhibition, The Jones Institute, San Francisco, CA
2023 Silent Skies, Pyramid Scheme Group Show,Bass and Reiner, San Francisco, CA
2020 Botanicae, Solo exhibition, DZINE Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2020 Botanicae, Group Show, SF Decorator Showcase, San Francisco, CA
2019 Botanicae, Solo exhibition, The Jones Institute, San Francisco, CA
Publications/Awards
2024 Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Award, San Francisco Arts Foundation
2020 Architectural Digest, Botanicae
2020 San Francisco Magazine, Botanicae
2020 House Beautiful, Botanicae
2020 California Art and Design, Botanicae
2018 National Geographic, An Appetite for Russia
2015 NY Book Award, Criminology Book Cover
2014 Library of Congress, Letters from the Ivory Coast, 4 volumes
Visiting Artist / Lectures
2020 DZINE Gallery: Lecture Program Artist Talk
2019 Jones Institute: In dialogue with Rimma Boshernistan
2019 Creative Mornings, San Francisco: Lecture Program Artist Talk
2017 Dietland Wolf Studio, Hamburg Germany: Visiting Artist
Education
2025 MFA Candidate, Stanford University, CA
2023 NYCcritclub, The Canopy Program, New York, NY
2006 Graphic Design, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
1995 B.A. Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey