Nina Liu and Friends in Charleston, SC, continues its twenty-fifth year with an exhibition of work by papermaker Arthur McDonald. The exhibition, entitled Icons for Meditation, will be on view from Apr. 1 - 30, 2011. A reception will be held on Apr. 3, from 4-6pm.

McDonald, an emeritus professor of Theatre at the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts, began studying papermaking in 1998 after working with handmade paper in an experimental production entitled Lear Africanus. As he pursued his interest in papermaking, McDonald studied at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and traveled to countries such as Bhutan, China, and Thailand to learn about the craft from traditional papermakers.

In his North Carolina mountain studio McDonald uses bark from mulberry trees (from Thailand), daphne fiber (from Bhutan) and gampi fiber (from the Philippines) to make his paper. Working in his Charleston studio McDonald combines his paper with other elements to produce striking work with an aesthetic sensibility that reflects his interests and experiences in multiple cultures and religions, especially those of Asia.

Working with layers of handmade paper and found or gathered objects such as fossils, pages from texts and branches, McDonald creates compositions that tease the eye with earthy colors, subtle patterns, and repeated forms. The completed works have a quality that evokes the power of ritual objects.

McDonald’s work appeared in the 2010 International Craft Biennale at the CheongJu Craft Museum in Seoul. Among other venues where he has exhibited his work are the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, NC; The Design Gallery in Burnsville, NC; and Charleston’s Nina Liu and Friends. McDonald has taught papermaking at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts and the Gibbes Museum of Art.

The gallery is located in the historic Poinsett House on State Street in Charleston.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listing or call the gallery at 843/722-2724.