Searching for a New Normal
2022 Members Exhibition

 

kun

neila kun

Born in Philadelphia, PA
BFA, sculpture department, Tyler School of Art
MFA, photography department, Tyler School of Art

permeant collections that hold my artist books include:
Swarthmore College, PA
MOMA
Philadelphia Museum of Art

worked at private mint making coins and medals.
Sculpted obverse side, one cent piece for Guyana, 1970
Sculpted reverse side, 25th anniversary, Queen Elizabeth’s reign
for the British Virgin Islands

neilaart.com

Road Bump

The pandemic rages and then we find, my husband is caught in a health crisis. The paper pages I am making reflect the fragile condition of our days. The paper serves as a record of this period in my family’s history.  One that will always be the bookmark between now and then, before and after — for him, and for us. A reminder of  the days we spent together in a fog of dread and love.

This book contains imperfections reflecting these uncertain times. 

Our lives remain unsettled. 

This is an accordion fold book. It moves and undulates to its own rhythm, in it’s own time.. It is not bound or constrained by a rigid format. The form 

can be elongated or shaped as the emotion of the moment dictates. It can be elegant or it can be playful.

The pages are hand made and hand dyed paper. The fiber is cotton.

neila Kun

august, 2022

4" (h) x 4" (w) x 12" (L)
Accordion artist book. Dyed, hand made paper. The fiber is cotton.
2022

looking forward

The first step is to assemble the mold and deckle for the sheets of paper. The next step is to dye the fiber for the project. Then I am ready to make the paper pages and let them dry. I assemble the accordion book as the last step. This is a  book in the series that reflects our uncertain times. It is a reminder of the days my husband and  I spent together . The paper pages  are not perfect. There are lumps and bumps and imperfection that mirror our unsettled time.  My life remains in flux.

4"(h) x 4"(w) x 20"
accordion fold book, dyed and hand made paper. Cotton fiber was used for the paper.
2021

all our days

When I make hand made paper, I start by building the mold and deckle for the size  sheet I will need. The next step is to dye the fiber for the project. When this is finished, I am ready to make the paper pages and let them dry. I assemble the accordion book as a last step. This is a second book in the series that reflects our uncertain times. It is a reminder of the days my husband and I spent together . The book  contains imperfections that reflect our uncertain times. 

5" (h) x 5 (w) x 24"
accordion book, with dyed, hand made paper. the fiber used is cotton.
2021