Paper Snowflakes on Steroids

Dans la Lune by Kirsten Hassenfeld at the Rice Gallery

Cynthia, our visual merchandising guru, took me to an exhibit at Rice a while back, and talk about awe inspiring! The exhibit featured the work of Kirsten Hassenfeld, a young artist who works with one medium: paper. But these aren't little paper snowflakes- these are eight foot gargantuan paper worlds with new twists and turns on every side. One could literally look at the same piece for ten minutes finding all of the hidden intricacies that piece offers. There were detailed designs formed from folded paper, minuscule paper chains draped everywhere, and even a tiny paper princess in a poofy ballgown walking her paper puppy. When we took in the entire display through glass windows it was ethereal and beautiful. The artist named the show Dans la Lune, which is a French idiom for daydreaming or having your head in the clouds. Keep an eye on this one. Even if you can't fit an eight foot paper ornament in your living room, it's still fun to look!

An intricate design makes up a small part of one of her pieces

A paper princess and her puppy

Smaller ornaments hang from a tiny paper chain