Angela Glajcar is a German contemporary artist, born in Mainz, celebrated for her innovative and sculptural use of different types of paper such as Korean paper (hanji). Specializing in three-dimensional works, she has focused on paper as her primary medium for decades. Angela transforms large torn sheets of papers and hanji paper into intricate, layered sculptures, often hanging them from the ceiling to interact dynamically with light, and shifting perspectives.
Glajcar's artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide, including the Jeonbuk Art Museum and Kiaf Seoul in Korea, Bluerider ART London Mayfair, in the UK, Friedrichs Pontone Gallery in New York, Haus des Papiers in Berlin, and Meb Arte Studio in Italy.
In addition, she has received many awards for her artwork including the Paper Art Award 2021, Mainzer Stadtdrucker Award (2014-2015), Audience Award at the Regionale 2010, and Phönix Art Award 2006.
I find it mesmerizing how hanji's transparency, combined with its torn edges, allows light to pass through, creating a captivating interplay of illumination and shadow.
The following are excerpts from an email interview with Angela Glajcar from Nov 27 to Dec 10.
1. What made you use the Korean paper hanji over any other paper?
Hanji paper is an extraordinary material with unique characteristics that immediately captivated me. It’s amazing that even after decades of working with paper, you can still come across a material like Hanji paper that opens up a completely new horizon. I worked with Hanji paper for the first time in 2021. It was a completely new experience. The tearing of this paper is completely different, and more difficult because the fibers are very long. I love this paper and have been working with it ever since.
2. How do you manipulate the properties of hanji paper to create large-scale, monumental pieces?
The paper is very light and I wrinkle the entire sheet so that I can create a uniform surface. After I have smoothed the sheets, I use them layer by layer. My installations grow into the space, sheet by sheet. This allows me to build large monumental formats from relatively small sheets.
3. How does the tearing process influence the final form and meaning of the piece?
Tearing is probably the most natural way of processing paper. It reveals the paper’s underlying structure, exposing its fibers and creating distinctive torn edges. The inside of the material becomes perceptible. My work is always about interior and exterior space and our relationship to it; the material reinforces this approach through its own structure.
4. What difficulties have you faced in creating the layered or translucent effects in your art?
I like using paper because its lightness and flexibility offer a great deal of freedom. I can conquer the space and create new spaces with the material. I have always been able to solve all technical problems in recent years thanks to this flexibility.
5. What does hanji paper mean to you?
I always loved experimenting with different types of paper and working with hanji paper has been particularly unique and exciting. Unlike other papers where I avoid creases because they disrupt the smooth, pristine surface, with hanji, I intentionally incorporate creases into my work. Hanji behaves differently; it has a textile-like quality, almost resembling fabric.
6. What do you want to convey through your art?
Through my art, I want to make the connection to space tangible and emphasize the effect of space on us. As Sasa Hanten writes in the newly published catalog raisonné; ‘’Space is never neutral,’’ but space always evokes a variety of perceptions and emotions in us. The installations invite us to rediscover space by encouraging us to think about the spaces we occupy and how we move within them. The works create new approaches to perception; they challenge our senses, especially our often unconscious ‘’sixth sense,’’ which is responsible for the intuitive and physical perception of space. The artworks thus offer not only visual impressions but also a deeper, sensual experience of space.
7. What are your plans?
I dream of spaces and constantly seek new papers that I can use, to explore these spaces and activate our senses. I’m already planning various museum exhibitions in the coming year, and I am looking forward to them.
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