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Introducing Paper & Poetry
Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein
My poetry ; the haiku, seventeen syllables, a thought phrase , a moment ,a memory. Perhaps a literary photograph. My paper ; cotton, abaca , sisal , repurposed clothes , always looking for new materials to put in the vat. Tactile, mysterious, surprising as I embed floral pieces in the paper . The natural colors becoming dyes.Then I am as a monk , transcribing my text onto the paper. The result is a joyous celebration of nature and intelligence having fun.
Please see more of what I do on my instagram posts: rephael_epstein
Bio & Process
Small Beginnings
"The obstacle is the path"
I left high school thinking,"I will never have to write a paper again." Art school is the answer. I earned a BFA at Washington University in St. Louis and then an MFA at the Rinehart School of Sculpture at The Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore Maryland. Chosen to receive a travelling fellowship from The Henry Walters Museum upon graduation I hitchhiked from Stonehenge to the Pyramids. I enjoyed creating sculpture from a host of differing materials and at an early stage creating site specific installations. One day in 2015 my body told me that heavy lifting was to be a thing of the past. I went on utube and learned to make paper from two girls in their mother's kitchen. I have been making paper ever since.
Haiku
The traditional haiku form of seventeen syllables,5-7-5, has been a beloved discipline for twenty five years. It is a literary photograph of the moment. A memory, an observation, a thought clarified. When I began writing the haiku on my own paper life came full circle. The young ,naive boy who never wanted to write on paper again does just that full time. Happy, joyous and free!
Please see the link to my instagram posts for a full inventory of my work as I continue adding products to this website. All of my poems are available and can be transcribed to new paper if a posted one has been sold. Prices on request.
Services
work by commision
I am happy to work with you on a project. Some lines from a favorite poem, greetings , announcements , a remembrance. You can send me clues: pictures ,words,ideas,colors,names, places,anything at all and I will write a haiku. I always have or can create paper for your desired purpose. I am here to serve.