About the Artist

Stefanie Lynn Casaceli Hendra
lynnarthendra@gmail.com

Artist Biography:

Stefanie Lynn Casaceli-Hendra was born in Staten Island N.Y. and grew up in Brooklyn and Pennsylvania. Art has always been an influence in her life.
Stefanie studied fine art and photography at Pocono Mountain High School,
Northampton Community College, Pennsylvania College of Art and
Design. In high school, she studied photography, fashion, tailoring, ceramics, and drawing. Before entering college Stefanie attended Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, then attended Pennsylvania College of Art and Design for Fine Art with a focus on photography. Due to her high-risk pregnancy with twins, she took time away from college to take care of her family. She moved to Japan in (2018), and Japanese culture has always been an influence since she was young. Stefanie is a fine art photographer, multidisciplinary artist, military spouse, Army Mom, mother of two sets of twins, founder, editor, publisher, and curator of A.B.F.M. Magazine® and Stefanie Lynn's Scarfs®.
She spends most of her time taking photographs, painting, creating fiber art, playing the piano, spending time with her family, and helping artists. Stefanie has 26 years of experience with her art. She was diagnosed with a Brain AVM in (2016). Most of her work is about coping with her AVM, her HLA-B27 diagnosis, menorrhagia, her family-military life, women empowerment, LGBTQIA+ community, Halloween, and her bucket-list travel photographs in Japan and Italy. She has been published nationally and internationally in PIKCHUR Magazine, Artist Portfolio Magazine, Skywriter Magazine, All She Makes Magazine, and Stars and Stripes-Welcome to the Pacific Magazine.
Stefanie was Maker of the Month through PXP Contemporary Art Gallery with
her fiber wearable scarf art (2021). She has been an artist in residence in Japan since (2018). She is represented by Nakamura Camera Shop in Iwakuni, Japan, and Stefanie has had four Fine Art Photography Solo Exhibitions with them.

Her photography work is held in private collections in Japan, France, Germany, Australia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, the United States and the United Kingdom.

She challenged herself to do a 100th-day art project, which she completed in 2021. One piece of artwork for 100 days. She is currently working on a 1,000 Handmade Scarf Project. Stefanie founded Stefanie Lynn’s Scarfs® from this ongoing project.

Stefanie has home-schooled all four of her children. She thoroughly enjoys teaching, especially art, literature, and penmanship.

She takes great pride in helping all creatives. Stefanie created a wonderful art website and in-print magazine to help all types of artists get the exposure they deserve. Including self-taught, emerging, established artists, writers, and musicians.


Photography Artist Statement:
I am intrigued with vivid colors, photographing peculiar objects, and seeing how light affects moods and how the objects take form. I am on a journey with ultraviolet photography and digital photography. My influences are through my fascination with Japanese culture with Maiko style, fashion, film, and traveling the world as a mother, and military wife.

I was taught old-school photography in the darkroom. What I have learned is digital photography is one more tool for expressing oneself in the arts. It's an objective of mine to explore sacred spaces in the form of my beliefs, spirituality, being grounded, motherhood, respecting sacred spaces, and having boundaries. Art can be very therapeutic and it enlightens that you are not alone and you can overcome anything in this human condition. We are navigating through this life and sometimes you don’t know where you are on your journey and where you want to go. Try to accept, invite, and embrace change.

Fiber Art Statement:
I was exposed to fabric, fabric stores, craft stores, yarn, needles, and thread at an early age. My mother would cross-stitch, sew, and crochet. My grandma Millie would crochet.
I love the feel of fabrics, yarn, picking out sewing needles, picking crochet hooks, knitting needles and designing quilts, making blankets, and making fabric straw wreaths for comfort. It’s very nostalgic to me. Making protective masks during the pandemic made me realize I have been creating with my hands since early childhood and now being an adult, mother, and wife, and trying to find peace from the intensifying discord in our world. I continue to hone my skills, hone my voice, and allowing my hands to think. I am challenging myself with a 1,000-handmade crocheted scarf project.

Please join me on my journey to completing these scarfs that represent Japan, my family, my friends, and my life’s journey. It’s still a wonderful work in progress and I am delighted to keep sharing what I am creating.