Kirstin Demer
Handmade Journals, 2024
Paper, vintage covers, linen thread, leather 7" x 6"
Handmade Journals - Coptic Binding
Kirstin Demer
Handmade Journals, 2024
Leather, paper, linen thread 7" x 10"
Handmade Journals - Binding Samples
Kirstin Demer
Solitude, 2023
Handmade paper abaca, pigment 12" x 12" x 12"
Kirstin Demer
Renewal, 2024
Handmade paper abaca, reed, pigment 27" x 20" x14"
"Renewal" is a handmade paper sculpture created from reed and dipped multiple times in pigmented flax and abaca pulp. The repetitive nature of the creation of the piece acts as a form of meditation. Layers of handmade paper are built upon the surface creating a protective covering and giving form to the piece. The exposed openings throughout the form reveal areas of vulnerability. The sculpture expresses ideas of regrowth and the process of thriving again both physically, emotionally and spiritually after a period of loss.
Kirstin Demer
Beneath the Surface, 2024
Wire, handmade paper abaca, pigment 16" x 16" x 16"
"Beneath the Surface" is a handmade artists' book exploring ideas that may lay beneath the surface - physically, spiritually and emotionally. Abaca fiber and wire. The thin translucent sheets of paper show of hint of what is happening beneath.
Kirstin Demer
The World We Live In, 2024
Vintage book, linen thread 1 1/2" x 60" x 1 1/2"
“The World We Live In” is a handmade artists’ book exploring themes of community and connection in relation to one another and the world that we inhabit. This work is created from a large vintage 1955 Life book filled with colorful images and text about the beauty and mystique of the world. Understanding our world is not a simple matter. Understanding how we can all live together in our world is even more complex.
Kirstin Demer
Reawakening, 2023
Handmade paper abaca, reed, pigment 50" x 27" x 20"
“Reawakening” expresses emotions of re-entering the world after the Covid-19 lockdown. The freeness of form of the sculptural piece reflects the openness of finally being able to reclaim life again. The sculpture was created using a reed structure while allowing for emotions to direct the final form of the piece. The work transcends a feeling of emerging and of renewal. Handmade paper invokes the feeling of hope through the lightness it creates. Pieces are missing, some are still intact yet all are fragile. Some aspects of life have been lost yet there is still lightness all around. Life continues.
