Vivian Cavalieri

Artist statement

I am a conceptual visual artist working in three-dimensional mixed-media assemblage. My work explores themes of immigration, environmental fragility, and social justice, drawing on both personal history and broader cultural narratives. An international upbringing informs my focus on universal concerns, while my palette and visual language are deeply shaped by my Venetian heritage.

I construct highly detailed scenes using dollhouse miniatures, textiles, segments of necklaces I design, and found objects. While these materials may appear impersonal, they are carefully selected for their symbolic and often deeply personal resonance—such as a broken replica of Richard Nixon's Oval Office chair to suggest a fall from grace, or a fragment of my father's 1939 U.S. visa application, concealed within a composition addressing migration.

The format itself invites dialogue. The small scale of the work draws viewers in, encouraging close looking. Museum glass enhances this experience, creating a sense of immediacy as if one were present within the scene itself.

Vivian Cavalieri