Eleanor Croteau-LaBranche
Eleanor Croteau-LaBranche (b. 1990) creates painted-paper collages that explore themes of nature, transformation, and light. Her work draws inspiration from surrealism, spiritual experiences, and poetry. Her intricate cut-paper collages are printed and layered to create a textured, iridescent surface that is both three-dimensional and luminous. While her subjects are primarily plant-based, she often incorporates symbols such as windows, seeds, and stars. These works explore sunlight-dappled, transitional spaces, reflecting on the immeasurable distance between life and death—and, more intriguingly, the passage from death into life again. Her pieces evoke themes of mystery, loss, and hope. As Croteau-LaBranche states, “I feel an access to something universal when painting these rising and illuminated plants, whom I wish to give a hum all their own.” Originally from Southern New Hampshire, Croteau-LaBranche now lives in Manchester, NH with her husband and young daughter. She holds a BFA from The New Hampshire Institute of Art, is pursuing her Master of Art Education at Fitchburg State University, and currently teaches Visual Art full-time to elementary school students in Exeter, NH.