Sculptural Handcarved Paper by Jennifer Falck Linssen

What a nice surprise to come across a completely new-to-me type of paper art when traveling recently!

vivid blue and silver curled paper and metal horizontal wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

December Wind

This paper and aluminum wall sculpture (below) caught my eye in Durham, North Carolina when I was in town to attend a wedding. From a distance across the AC Hotel lobby, I have to admit that I first assumed I was looking at a mass-produced art object.

Allure

Imagine my delight to read the description and learn it was actually paper that had been handcarved, shaped, and then secured with waxed linen stitching along the edges to a rolled aluminum band by Jennifer Falck Linssen of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Excuse my hastily snapped photo in the hotel lobby... the coloring, shading, sheen, and stitching details are exceptional when viewed in person.

rectangular ivory and pale orange curled paper and metal vertical wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Falling Light

Jennifer's contemporary art, inspired by nature's timeless repetitive patterns, has been exhibited widely. It is in many public and private collections here in the U.S., as well as in Hong Kong and Dubai.

brown paper and metal vertical wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Mountain

close up of brown paper and metal wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Mountain [detail]

browngrotta arts, a Connecticut gallery that represents Jennifer, describes her work:

Jennifer Falck Linssen uses an ancient Japanese paper-carving skill - katagami - to create her work. This 1,200-year-old technique is traditionally used to resist-print kimono textiles in katazome. By drawing with a small knife on mulberry and cotton papers and shaping this carved paper into three-dimensional sculpture, Linssen recontextualizes the humble stencil - sculpting forms of pattern, shadow, and light. She combines katagami carving, stitching, and metalwork in exploring ancient traditions.

Eos

Collection of Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette, WI

When not utilizing her own archival handmade paper for which Jennifer mixes the pulp with pigments before forming it into sheets, she relies on cotton, abaca, and mulberry paper from Japan, Mexico, and the U.S.

pinwheel style ivory and tan curled paper and metal wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Passerine 2

Jennifer describes her process:

Multiple pattern pieces are first mocked up to assess the shape of the sculpture. The pattern pieces are then handcarved. The carved and shaped pieces are stitched and woven with metal and waxed linen. In the sculpture's final state, it is dyed, painted, patinaed, and varnished.

Effuse

The shadows from my sculptural work are as much a part of the piece as the handcarved paper and metal.

detail of blue and beige curled paper and metal wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Wind in the Willows (detail)

Wind in the Willows

Visit Jennifer Falck Linsson's website. She also is on Instagram.

light blue and tan curled paper and metal horizontal wall sculpture with katagami handcarving

Thrive

If you would like to see Jennifer's artwork in person, browngrotta arts in Connecticut or 1871 Gallery (Chicago Art Source) in Chicago are the places to go either in-person or with an appointment. Also, many of the corporate collection artworks are in lobbies so they are often easy to see in person as well.