Elena Engelsen (born 1952) is an artist based in Oslo, renowned for her exploration of animalism and the profound connection between humanity and nature. Through her art, Engelsen skillfully captures the vulnerability, individual personalities, and diverse expressions of animals, reflecting her deep fascination with their existence. She draws upon the tradition of art-historic animalism, a movement that began with a group of French artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Rembrandt Bugatti, who extensively studied animals at the Antwerp zoo.

Trained in stone sculpting at Steenhouwerij Buitenfeldert (in collaboration with the Gerrit Rietveld Academy) in The Netherlands, Engelsen was mentored by Joop Boshardt, Cor Kennedy, and Kees Andriessen. Returning to Norway in 1980, she emerged as a pioneering female sculptor in stone, a medium in which few Norwegian women had excelled. Her mastery over diverse techniques brings out a variety of textures in materials like marble, limestone, petrified clay, and bronze, showcasing an intimate understanding of her medium.

Engelsen's work does not only portray animals in their physical form but also invites viewers to contemplate their emotional worlds and the existential threats facing them, highlighting the risk of extinction faced by up to one million species. Her sculptures, celebrated for their insight into both animal and human conditions, have been acquired by major Norwegian art institutions including The National Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Norwegian Art Council, and Oslo Municipality Art Collection. Her art graces public spaces like Amstelpark in Amsterdam, Oslo University Hospital, and Jernbanetorget in Oslo, marking her significant contribution to public art and the ongoing discourse on environmental conservation and the intrinsic value of all living beings.