KELLY ALEXANDER-WENDORF

Handmade Paper Cuts Inspired by Nature

Papercutting is my medium of choice because it allows me to cut intricate lines and create intensity with layers, textures, and patterns. I’m fascinated by how the body works to heal, move, transform, and adapt. Typically, my work embodies the interaction between the female figure and nature, by developing a conversation around the body-mind connection.

 ARTIST PRESS RELEASE

Kelly Alexander-Wendorf of Belgium is an artist, but she’s far from the stereotypical starving kind. She actually has a full-time job in the field and her art is quickly growing in prominence. Alexander-Wendorf works as the office manager and events coordinator for her alma mater, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and creates art through paper cutting. One of her pieces is in the Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibit at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend through April 24.

She applied to be part of the exhibit two years ago and wasn’t accepted, but she was encouraged to try again. She was told 300 artists apply and only 100 get in. “That has just been opening doors to new opportunities,” Alexander-Wendorf said. “This ball just keeps rolling and getting bigger.”

The roll started when Alexander-Wendorf was growing up in Coal City, Ill.,  which has fewer than 4,000 people and, she said, is similar to Belgium.

She comes from a creative family. Her father has mechanical skills and works on engines, and her mother sews and does woodworking. She built the family’s fort and a deck on the side of their house. Her grandfather was a woodworker and her brothers are into welding, getting their mechanical aptitude from their father. Read more about the Kelly here.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Kelly Alexander-Wendorf As I was growing up my parents would take me to as many nature centers, hiking trails, and museums as they could.  Those experiences are still implemented in my life today because I value the importance of nature. Sometimes you may see the human figure or a variety of animals and insects within my work, which often symbolizes nurture, regrowth, and balance.

Papercutting is my medium of choice because it allows me to cut intricate lines and create intensity with layers, textures, and patterns. I’m fascinated by how the body works to heal, move, transform, and adapt. Typically, my work embodies the interaction between the female figure and nature, by developing a conversation around the body-mind connection. Website