ELIO
Elio is a 22x10x9 inch. mask depicting a celestial crow from Lauryn's series The Unspoken Universe. By using cardboard, bristol paper, and gouache, Lauryn was able to bring her symbolic character to life.
Elio was created in Virginia Commonwealth's University's Art Foundation's Space Research class. In the fall semester, students were to make an animal mask while describing its habitat, special powers, and its size. Then, students were to make a recording of the mask in its natural habitat.
Elio's habitat are the Ríona (celestial), Nephthys (underworld), and the Evulka (mortal) Realms of The Unspoken Universe. Elio is a pet of the goddess, Cressida, whose purpose is to guide the dead from the Evulka Realm to the Aelin Realm (paradise) after death. He is Cressida's favorite crow that's always on her right shoulder.
Elio helps Cressida and follows her wherever she goes. He also watches over mortals and can save people from an untimely death. Elio's powers are that he has celestial blood, can travel through astral and parallel planes, access all four realms, and can hide in plain sight. His name means "sun" which represents the brightness that he and Cressida give off when guiding mortals to the Aelin Realm.
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In the books of the Unspoken Universe, Elio and the other crows of Cressida look like regular crows in the Evulka Realm. In this sculpture, Lauryn depicted how Elio would look if he were in the Ríona Realm or in the process of guiding souls to Aelin.
Giddings, Lauryn. Elio. 2021, cardboard mask ornamented with gouache on bristol.
In this video, Elio is in his natural habitat. He's watching over mortals to secure their safety and is serving as a messenger if something terrible were to happen. Elio is dressed in red like the goddess Cressida is often to be described as wearing.