“The Great Discovery" Patrick - The Librarian by Nikki Besser
Step into a realm where paper becomes legend, and stories of resilience rise in three dimensions. Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming unveils an exhibition of large-scale, intricate paper artworks, where meticulous craft intertwines with the fantastical. Each piece centers on a human figure, joined by birds and animals, conjuring narratives of challenge, triumph, and transformation in all their own unique and fascinating stories.
These are tales both extraordinary and familiar: myths born from the quiet courage of everyday life, epic journeys that echo the struggles and victories of the human spirit. Spirals, layers, and delicate textures create landscapes where reality and imagination merge, where every curve and line hums with meaning, and where each form becomes a world unto itself.
Viewers are invited to cross thresholds, follow the subtle arcs of paper, and wander through suspended realms of wonder. Here, craft is storytelling, paper is the portal, and each figure becomes a guide through journeys of resilience, revelation, and renewal. Within these works, the familiar and the fantastical coexist, and the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, revealing the hidden architecture of imagined worlds.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE ART OF PAPER QUILLING
Paper quilling, also known as paper filigree, is an intricate art form that transforms slender strips of paper through rolling, folding, shaping, and arranging into detailed decorative designs. Originating in the Renaissance and flourishing throughout 18th-century Europe, quilling has evolved into a versatile medium celebrated for its delicate forms, dimensionality, and expressive potential.
In modern times, quilling has evolved into a sophisticated art form used for both fine art and decorative crafts. Artists manipulate the paper into coils, scrolls, and sculptural forms, combining them to build complex compositions that can range from delicate florals to highly detailed portraits, abstract designs, or surreal landscapes.
The beauty of quilling lies in its versatility and precision. With just paper and a few simple tools, artists can achieve incredible depth, texture, and movement. Though it may appear delicate, quilling demands patience, control, and a keen eye for detail—each piece is a labor of love, often requiring many hours to complete.
Today, paper quilling continues to captivate artists and audiences alike, offering a unique fusion of craftsmanship, creativity, and storytelling through the humble medium of paper.
MEET THE ARTIST | NIKKI BESSER
Nikki Besser is a self-taught, multifaceted artist whose creative journey spans oil and acrylic painting, soft pastels, airbrushing, paper, and mixed craft-based techniques. With no formal training to guide her, she has built her practice through instinct, curiosity, and an unrelenting pull toward the arts that began in her early teen years. Her path has always been one of exploration—moving through mediums in search of the one that felt like home.
She found it in paper quilling. Drawn by its vibrancy, versatility, and dimensionality, with qualities unlike any other medium, Nikki discovered a form of expression that allowed her imagination to unfold in extraordinary ways. Over countless hours, she has honed her craft, shaping delicate strips of paper into intricate, sculptural worlds that blur the boundary between the real and the surreal.
Today, her work reflects a fusion of technical mastery and imaginative storytelling, transforming delicate strips of paper into immersive scenes filled with character, emotion, and symbolic depth. Through her dedication and experimentation, Nikki continues to expand the possibilities of paper quilling, using it as a vessel to create intricate narratives that invite viewers into worlds both fantastical and deeply human. Her work increasingly ventures into realms of myth, magic, and dreamlike symbolism—fantastical landscapes and archetypal figures rendered with breathtaking detail. Yet within these scenes lives something familiar, something recognizable: the timeless struggle, triumph, and wonder of being human.
She describes her practice as storytelling on a cosmic scale: revealing hidden wonders through form, color, and delicately quilled dimension. Her commitment to the medium is fueled by a passionate pursuit, to touch the heart of humanity through art, and to offer portals into worlds where the extraordinary feels possible, alive, and within reach. Nikki hopes viewers step into her work with a sense of awe, curiosity, and openness. She aims to awaken something dormant in the mind and heart—an inner stirring that reconnects us with imagination, mystery, and the stories we often forget we carry.