Michelle Bardino Vela is an interdisciplinary artist and photographer. She finds inspiration for her artwork from the act of discovering and gathering natural objects that show the remains of a transformation. These materials that fascinate her are the ones that can easily disintegrate and be forgotten unless they are preserved. It is her wonderment towards the cycles within the natural world and the experience of memory that is central to her practice. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in photography, fibers and sculpture from Florida International University and is currently based in Fort Lauderdale, FL.