My inspiration is drawn from across cultures and time, with imagery from the man-made world as well as nature. Moments of vulnerability and transition interest me. By transforming mundane materials such as Q tips and cotton twill tape, I honor the potential for change and beauty that exists in all things. My process is instinctual and serendipitous. I welcome chance surprises that arise from my dialog with materials. I work in silence, as a meditation, giving voice to the art through the use of repetitive elements, patterning and the purity of white. The pieces, organic and imperfect, speak of forces beyond our control such as the power of nature and the passage of time. There is perfection in the imperfection as wrought by these forces. Poised at a crossroad, the pieces are precarious yet powerful and strong. They are a metaphor for our tenuous times – where the uncertainty of our world threatens destruction, while simultaneously offering the hope of change, resilience and survival.

                                                                      Ellen Schiffman