An Ode to Paper

Best of Paper: Kim Land

Snow Drift, Kim Land, driftwood, tissue paper, granite, 2019

Kim Land is a paper artist from Temiscaming, QC. Her passion for handcrafting and a love for the natural world brought together her series of Aurora Sculptures. These light sculptures are either 10 layers of tissue paper or 2 layers of washi paper with specialty paper as the final layer. Small pieces of paper are layered individually with the end result being a very organic and fluid feel to it. The light that is emitted is subdued and ambient for a calming effect.

Kim on winning

Beyond having to squash my ego back down to normal size, I have noticed a measurable difference in the flow of traffic to my social media sites.  Winning Best in Paper has definitely been a boost to my sales. My piece, Snow Drift, even sold the day after winning.  

The generous gift certificate from The Japanese Paper Place is truly the exciting part for me. Each time I see a new paper, I imagine where I would use it… I feel I have really only dipped a toe into the world of handmade papers and am looking forward to exploring some more.  
– Kim Land

About the Best of Paper Award

Nancy Jacobi is the founder of The Japanese Paper Place, one of the largest suppliers of washi paper in the world. A passionate advocate of the art of Japanese paper, Nancy has been supporting and celebrating TOAF artists who work with this medium through the Best of Paper Award for over 15 years. Nancy selected Kim Land’s paper sculptures this year out of 70 excellent paperworks using a wide range of paper.

Most Innovative Use of Material: Dana Korre

The use of resin as a contemporary art material goes back to the 1950s to seal in natural materials or to create 3-D layers of (mostly abstract) paintings. This artist subverts these uses of resin by sealing in meticulous sculptures made from recycled newspapers to mimic wood and minerals and by creating dimensionality for naturalistic representations of butterfly wings or flower petals. Our first resins were derived from trees. Through this Dana's work, the distinctions between natural and artificial materials are blurred as the mimetic forms challenge our expectations of what we are seeing.
– Dori Tunstall, Dean of the Faulture of Design at OCAD U, and Judge of Most Innovative Use of Material

Malachite, Dana Korre, acrylic paint, newspaper, resin, 2018

Dana Korre is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist that completed her BFA at OCAD University in 2015. Dana’s body of work consists of three dimensional painting techniques utilizing resin and paper to create imitations of elements found in the natural world. These artworks showcase different types of layering methods to create illusions of depth and reality.

Dana explores the organic material used in everyday objects and links them back to their natural formations. Her artwork is very process driven and focuses on developing new applications to further push the boundaries of painting in realism.

Dana on winning

This was my first time participating in TOAF, and I am very grateful to have won an award! It has encouraged me to continue working and experimenting with different material applications. It was amazing that the fair continued this year. The staff worked so hard to make it happen online, and I look forward to joining the fair outdoors!
– Dana Korre

About the Most Innovative Use of Material Award

This award is established by Lonsdale Gallery to celebrate an artist who displays the most innovative, and/or unexpected use of material.

Being a long time visitor and supporter of the Fair, I admire work that takes creative risks, and I believe it is important to acknowledge the ingenuity and processes artists present to differentiate themselves. As a gallerist, Lonsdale Gallery has a rich legacy of exhibiting work that has the power to resonate and perhaps see something in a different way. I am proud to support this great award, which recognizes creative innovation and active experimentation with material.
– Chad Wolfond, Lonsdale Gallery

Artworks still available