Jacqueline Mallegni
Arroyo Hondo, NM
Currents: 2022
Kozo fiber, indigo, kibiso
36" x 19" x 4"
2022
$1200
About
My creative journey has taken many twists and turns over the years. While living in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains I studied basketry, weaving, spinning, animal husbandry, gardening and botanical wool dying. This was the beginning of stepping onto the road of self-discovery through the art of making. Living in France, I designed and created custom clothing for friends. Early years studying interior design set the stage for my imagination in 3D. In 1988 I returned to academia and studied three-dimensional fiber sculpture and anthropology. Making paper using traditional Japanese techniques seemed to bring me full circle with previous explorations and my love of Asian aesthetics and philosophy. And so, papermaking has been the thread of my creative process for over three decades. I’ve used paper with armatures made of rattan to create sculptural lighting, site-specific installations and minimalism sculpture. The mountainous high desert brings with it new inspiration and ways of seeing within defined seasons urging me to engage more deeply with concepts of the space between, shadow, light, and the solace of a wild landscape.
Artist Statement
During a month long artist residency in California last summer, I approached kozo fiber with new intention to see where on the path of self-discovery it would lead me. The residency was rich with memories coming full circle to the beginning of my art career that began in the 70s. My love of the ocean always inspires work that is reminiscent of seashore life and movement that nourishes my spirit. Returning to desert life, the ocean returns with me. “Currents: 2022” speaks to sea breezes, the sound of small waves as they touch sand playfully frothing with joy at meeting once again in an ageless story of gratitude.
