April 2019 - October 2019

Philadelphia artist Leila Cartier is a painter and collagist whose art is inspired by nature. This exhibition of large-scale works on paper features hand-cut images of jewelry sourced from magazines. Cartier has said that her practice is both "meditative and borderline obsessive" as her studio contains thousands of cutout images methodically sorted by color.

With the imagery amassed, Cartier begins to assemble her intricate compositions, element-by-element, to create an overall shape that from a distance alludes to a tree in full bloom, a floral bouquet, or most recently, a scarab beetle. It is only when viewed up close that the jeweled cutouts reveal themselves and the perception of a tree, a bouquet, or a scarab becomes diffused. It is this unexpected illusion that is mesmerizing and magical.

Throughout history, nature has been a source of inspiration for jewelry designers particularly the scarab beetle, worn as ornamental art since the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.  It is Cartier's unique twist to recreate nature using valueless images of lavish jewelry.  She heightens the viewer's experience of nature through the artifice of opulence, materialism, and our perceptions of beauty.  

For this installation, Cartier has also created a tiled background using similar techniques albeit printed wallpaper. The tile patterns are based on her great grandmother's home in Hasbaya, Southern Lebanon. 

For More Information, Visit leilacartier.com.