Tag Archives: The Guild of American Papercutters

pa•per

Rosa Leff, Sorry Not Sorry, 2019, hand-cut paper plate, 12” x 12”

pa•per
A Group Exhibition Curated by Jason Chen

Paradigm Gallery + Studio

Exhibition Dates: April 26 – May 18, 2019
Opening Reception: April 26, 2019 5:30 – 10pm


Paradigm Gallery + Studio is pleased to present pa•per, a group exhibition of paper works curated by Paradigm co-founder Jason Chen, opening on April 26, 2019 and remaining on view through May 18, 2019.

There will be a public opening reception on April 26th from 5:30 – 10pm. Though paper is often thought of as craft material, Chen’s exhibition, pa•per, tries to re-contextualize the medium by showcasing 15 artists who use nontraditional techniques to elevate it.

Included in the exhibition is Baltimore-based Rosa Leff, who is a member of The Guild of American Papercutters. Two of Leff’s pieces in pa•per, Dinner’s On Me and Sorry Not Sorry, incorporate traditional imagery that you might find on fine china plates. All of her work is cut by hand from a single sheet of paper.

While the exhibition does not range in medium, it ranges in technique. From surgical X-Acto blade cuts to minimal collage to Sally Hewitt’s series of paper reliefs, paper is transformed by technique and treatment. India-based Nayan and Vaishali’s ongoing project, 730 Days of Miniature, poses a creative challenge on the seemingly limited nature of the material. Each day, they spend four to six hours meticulously creating miniature paper bird artworks. Each one is colored and cut by hand, and layered to create a “2.5 dimensional” piece. These works and the show itself treats paper not as a background or foundation for artworks, but as a transformable material.

Jason Chen specifically chose artists who have not been featured ever before at Paradigm. Artists participating in pa•per include: Kanako Abe, Daria Aksenova, Joey Bates, Albert Chamillard, Colette Fu, Lizzie Gill, Sally Hewett, Danielle Krysa, Rosa Leff, Huntz Liu, Ryan Sarah Murphy, Marianne R. Petit, Lucha Rodríguez, and Nayan and Vaishali. The gallery is known for working with established and emerging paper artists, but pa•per’s lineup is fresh and unexpected.

pa•per is curated around art that is pushed beyond its practical applications into the world of fine art. The capacity of paper as a medium, rather than a surface to paint or draw on, highlights its potential of exceeding expectations.

(left) Sally Hewitt, Paperback, 2019, cartridge paper manipulated using needles, bodkins and embossing tools, 12 x 10” (right) Nayan and Vaishali, Impala and Red-billed Oxpeckers, 2019, layered cut paper and watercolor, 9 x 9 cm

Paradigm Gallery + Studio
Paradigm Gallery + Studio® exhibits contemporary artwork from around the world with a focus on Philadelphia-based artists. Established February 2010, the gallery began as a project between co-founders and curators, Jason Chen and Sara McCorriston, as a space in which to create artwork, to exhibit the work of their peers, and to invite the members of the community to create and collect in a welcoming gallery setting. To this day the gallery still aims to welcome all collectors, from first time to lifelong, and continues to support accessible work that welcomes a wide audience.

Location: Paradigm Gallery + Studio, 746 S 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
Media Contact: Lainya Magaña, A&O PR, lainya@aopublic.com

Like DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog on facebook

Follow the new DoNArTNeWs.com

Follow DoN on Twitter @DoNNieBeat58

DoN Brewer on Pinterest

@donniebeat on Instagram

Affiliate Marketing [disclosure page] Shop on-line and help support DoNArTNeWs

Donate via safe and secure PayPal in the sidebar.

DoNArTNeWs – celebrating eleven years reporting on Philadelphia artists and art.