Kirstin F. Mitchell 

As an artist, Kirstin Mitchell tries to find a balance between portraying what she sees and expressing her internal vision. Inspired by the meditative quality of origami and deep satisfaction that folding paper brings her, she creates jewelry and paints works that emphasize the geometric forms she sees within complex origami designs. Mitchell’s jewelry is created by first folding the origami and then deconstructing it to make a pattern. The pattern is traced onto very thin 30 gauge silver sheet, which is then cut, folded into separate components, and soldered together. 

Mitchell’s paintings also begin with folding an origami for inspiration. While many of her paintings are still lifes, others are based on photographs of the origami designs that have been manipulated in some way. Mitchell makes a point to honor the imperfections within the origami design and juxtaposes delicately smooth areas with more loosely painted sections where brush marks are clearly visible. Mitchell also enjoys strong contrasts of light and dark and is drawn to the negative shapes within an image. Mitchell’s passion for folded forms and the elegance of origami’s inherent geometry is evident in her paintings of origami shells, flowers, stars, and tessellations.

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Follow Mitchell on Instagram @silverorigami to see her paper folding and keep up with her newest paintings and jewelry designs.