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Artist Amy Genser translates gnarled roots, coral reefs, and other organic forms into expansive, abstract topographies. Her primary material is mulberry paper rolled into tight cylinders, which she nestles into colorful masses that trail into seas of acrylic paint. Whether on canvas, PVC, or another base, the dense compositions sprawl in every direction and peek over the edges in small ridges.
After moving to a larger studio space in Hartford, Connecticut, about four years ago, Genser has expanded the scale of her works, which previously were confined to smaller canvases. Recent projects include wall sculptures spanning multiple feet, free-standing pieces, and a site-specific installation titled “Shifting,” which just opened at Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts—see photos of the artist’s process behind the massive work on her Instagram.
No matter the scale or form, each piece speaks to the climate crisis and uses the small, dyed coils to draw “attention to the beauty of our natural world,” she tells Colossal.
There is an inextricable link between my art and environmentalism. I am inspired by our earth and solar system and use natural materials in my work. I primarily use mulberry paper, which is created from the regenerative branches of a mulberry tree. I have a hard time justifying the use of materials with trying to conserve our natural resources. I’m adding new material into the work, more “stuff.” I try to minimize my use of unnatural materials.
For more of Genser’s intricate structures, explore her extensive portfolio.
A Kinetic Wall Sculpture by Felipe Pantone Spins in a Hypnotic Reel of Endless Color
Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone (previously) boasts an incredible archive of sculptures and murals that are founded on the principles of color theory. His works range from large-scale glitches and bold pixelations to tabletop prisms that shift with human touch. His most recent project, “Subtractive Variability Compact,” falls in the latter category as it visualizes the full range of the CMY spectrum through stacked, spinning wheels.
The kaleidoscopic kinetic sculpture layers small acrylic rounds coated in gradients of UV paint in within a wall-mounted frame. As the individual modules in cyan, magenta, and yellow rotate, light is subtracted in various combinations, producing an endlessly evolving reel of color.
A limited edition of 200 sculptures will be available on February 15 from Configurable, and you can find more of Pantone’s interactive prismatic works on Instagram.
Folds in Recurring Patterns Form the Tessellated Origami Sculptures by Goran Konjevod
All images © Goran Konjevod, shared with permission
Whether folding flat, square tessellations or rounded forms that billow from a central point, origami artist  Goran Konjevod (previously) focuses on the tension inherent in a single sheet of material. His sculptures draw on his background in mathematics and computer science and configure precise geometries, fanned pleats, and small woven pieces that appear to be individual strips threaded together rather than a series of carefully aligned creases. Each form is a meticulous blend of texture, pattern, and dimension that’s translated into elegant, abstract constructions through repetitive folds.
In recent months, Konjevod has shifted to working with paper infused with encaustic paint, although he’s also created an array of knotted creatures, twisted ropes, and small vessels out of thin sheets of copper, other metals, and mesh. You can find hundreds of his sculptures on his site, and take a peek into his process on Instagram.
Intricate Beaded Motifs Add Colorful Dimension to Jan Huling's Animal Sculptures
“Hero” (2019), 27 x 22 x 8 inches. All images © Jan Huling, shared with permission
A former product designer turned bead artist, Jan Huling begins each sculpture with a blank form in the shape of a miniature horse, giant praying mantis, and eager monkey perched on a box. She then glues small glass pieces in meandering lines, concentric circles, and other elaborately constructed motifs. “I don’t sketch out designs beforehand,” she tells Colossal. “Rather I let my designs grow organically and let the work itself inspire me.”
Each embellishment is a study of color, texture, and form, with some patterns structuring facial features like the radiant eyes of the nine-foot “Das Bug” and others adding hypnotic ornaments like the intersecting patches that span the length of the tail in “KoKo.” Although Huling shares that she doesn’t translate any specific motifs, she’s drawn to Huichol traditions and the fantastical alebrije sculptures of Mexico, in addition to Indian artists, Nick Cave (previously), and Tim Burton.
Huling, who’s based in Jersey City Heights, will have sculptures on view at Art Market San Francisco this April through Duane Reed Gallery, and her billowing dress titled “The Gown” is headed to the Museum of Beadwork this summer. Explore a collection of her intricate creations on her site and Instagram. (via Women’s Art)
“Hero” (2019), 27 x 22 x 8 inches
Detail of “Das Bug” (2015), 61 x 69 x 110 inches
“Das Bug” (2015), 61 x 69 x 110 inches
Detail of “Das Bug” (2015), 61 x 69 x 110 inches
“KoKo” (2011), 48 x 15 x 24 inches
Detail of “KoKo” (2011), 48 x 15 x 24 inches
Trees Burst from 100 Elementary Desks in Hugh Hayden's Installation Addressing the Disparities of Public Education
“Brier Patch” at Madison Square Park (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
Four lawns in New York’s Madison Square Park are now sites of a sprawling and insightful public installation by artist Hugh Hayden. On view through April 24, “Brier Patch” is comprised of 100 small wraparound desks arranged in neat grids evocative of an elementary classroom. Each cedar sculpture is distinct with barren, bark-covered branches bursting from their seats or tabletops, creating a snarled explosion of limbs and twigs that’s impossible to permeate.
Similar to his thorny dining sets in material and aesthetic, the metaphorical works speak to the inequities of education and cite the inherent barriers to achievement. The installation’s name references the tangled mass of prickly vegetation, an environment that’s only hospitable to some. It also draws on the stories of the trickster Br’er Rabbit, a folklore tradition that originated in West and Southern Africa before being repackaged as Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories. In those tales, the rabbit outwits his foes and finds refuge in the largely inaccessible thicket.
In addition to “Brier Patch,” Hayden’s Boogey Men, a solo show responding to cultural issues and a harsh political environment, is on view through April 17 in Miami. Explore more of the Dallas-born artist’s works on his website and Instagram.
“Brier Patch” at Madison Square Park (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
“Brier Patch” at Madison Square Park (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
“Brier Patch” at Madison Square Park (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
“Brier Patch” at Madison Square Park (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
Hayden creating “Brier Patch “at Showman Fabricators (2021). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Yasunori Matsui
Hayden installing “Brier Patch” (2022). Image courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy, by Rashmi Gill
Hand-Dyed Paper Seeds Flow Through Sculptural Landscapes and Portraits by Ilhwa Kim
“Run” (2021), 132 x 164 x 13 centimeters. All images © Laam Yi, shared with permission
South Korean artist Ilhwa Kim describes her meditative sculptural works as analogous to living architecture, “a live plant or the tree in (an) urban or natural space.” Comprised of carefully placed components in parallel lines and dense fields, Kim’s pieces materialize through innumerable rolled paper seeds that form organic, abstract landscapes and portraits—read about the artist’s painstaking process for crafting the individual elements previously on Colossal.
In each work, Kim arranges an assortment of depths, colors, and textures: she tucks visible folds among more upright segments and installs thin, sweeping lines evocative of a single brushstroke through vast expanses of white. “When moving from painting to sculpture, I wanted to do everything I was able to use in painting; even brush strokes and all the wide color paints,” she tells Colossal. “But I’d like my works to have a far stronger life presence in the physical surroundings as a sculpture.”
Because the dimension of each seed varies, the fluctuating compositions shift in color and texture depending on the perspective of the viewer, animating the scenes with light and shadow. Kim frequently photographs her pieces on sidewalks and in public places, which she shares on Instagram, to present the lively works within similarly bustling environments, and you can see the sculptures in person this October at HOFA Gallery.
“Spectrum 2” (2021), 119 x 93 x 13 centimeters
“The Face of Nature” (2021), 132 x 164 x 13 centimeters
“Forrest Keeper” (2021), 164 x 132 x 15 centimeters
“Choral Symphony” (2021), 192 x 224 x 13 centimeters
Detail of “Choral Symphony” (2021), 192 x 224 x 13 centimeters
“My Seed Your Town” (2021), 164 x 132 x 13 centimeters
“White Portrait” (2022), 119 x 93 x 12 centimeters
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Paper Folding DIY Kit by Kelli Anderson
Highlights below. For the full collection click here.
Dig Into an Enormous Archive of Drawings Unveiling the Complex Root Systems of 1,180 Plants
Miniature Watercolor Works by Ruby Silvious Are Painted on Stained Teabags
Phantom Clouds Descend from the Sky in Vorja Sánchez’s Illustrated Photos
Graceful Swimmers Breach the Water’s Surface in Sonia Alins’s Poetic Mixed-Media Illustrations
Silky Flowers Spring from CJ Hendry’s Enormous Hyperrealistic Drawings in Colored Pencil
Minimal Lines and Colorful Geometric Shapes Compose Luciano Cian’s Portraits
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