San Francisco-based artist Zai Divecha’s work “provides a quiet, calm respite from an overstimulating world”, as the artist so eloquently puts it. And there’s no denying it. The all-white works, made with folding, pleading, cutting, or rolling sheets of paper, create a beautiful play of light and shadow that offer a calming effect.
Divecha herself says to be sensitive to her environment, from sounds and smells to temperatures. “In my creative practice, I try to create the kind of visual stimuli that I want to be surrounded by. The all-white palette allows me to create patterns and texture with just light and shadow alone, which feels soothing to me. I aim to create work that makes people feel centered, quiet, and focused. I want my work to feel like a respite from an overstimulating world.”
Divechas monochromatic paper sculptures range from geometrically intricate to minimal and ambiguous
In her artist statement, Divecha writes about her chosen medium and her fascination with paper, and how it can be given new life and meaning through simple manipulation. “Paper is such an ordinary, unassuming material. We come into contact with it every day: we sign receipts, open envelopes, jot down to-do lists. In these contexts, paper feels mundane and ephemeral, simply a means to an end. With just a few strategic, delicate alterations, though – a precise series of folds, or a collection of tiny cut flaps – I’m able to transform the material into something totally different. I love creating permanent sculptural works out of such a familiar, expendable substrate.”
Paper is such an ordinary, unassuming material. We come into contact with it every day: we sign receipts, open envelopes, jot down to-do lists. In these contexts, paper feels mundane and ephemeral, simply a means to an end. With just a few strategic, delicate alterations, though – a precise series of folds, or a collection of tiny cut flaps – I’m able to transform the material into something totally different. I love creating permanent sculptural works out of such a familiar, expendable substrate.
Utilizing a wide range of techniques in her work, from pleating and rolling to incising and folding, Divecha often creates one element which she then repeats dozens or hundreds of times to build a larger pattern. “I often try to balance geometric and organic elements in my work. And I draw pattern inspiration from a variety of sources, both natural and human-made: bathroom tiles, clouds, storm drains, the “skeletons” of dead cactuses, peeling bark, raindrops on a car window, rock formations, ornate screens in Islamic architecture.”
Divecha’s work has been on show at Heron Arts, Marrow Gallery, the American Craft Council, and West Coast Craft, while some of her work is owned by the Letterform Archive, Twitter, Instagram, Square, and Google collections. Her upcoming solo exhibition at Heron Arts in San Francisco will open on the 25th of February. Follow Divecha on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos from the studio, the most recent work, and upcoming exhibitions.
