Christina Lihan

Oil Spill (May 2019)
hand cut papers, glue
24 x 32 x 4 in.

This new direction in my art is the result of two very different recent artist residencies: one in vast Wyoming and one in upstate interior Maine. Being in these different environments I was so close to nature yet also within reach of heavy industry. What is the reconciliation of these opposing forces? My concern is for the health of our planet. Will we, in the future, be living in a very different urban landscape? I address these questions in my work.

My education and previous practice as an architect influences my art from my forms to my technique. I often construct forced perspectives to create the illusion of great depth when in reality my wall sculptures are only 3 to 4 inches deep. I love using my hands, so all my work is cut and glued by hand. Working very meticulously my process is meditative and one of discovery.

Humankind breaking the natural ground plane, construction/destruction, order/chaos: these themes permeate my art. Negative space creates tension in the forms. Light and shadow become characters in the narrative. In it I want to create a sense of place – earthly or otherworldly – where perhaps the viewer can inhabit and spark a discussion.

© Christina Lihan