Kristine Kadlec creates representational still life paper-weave collage using ordinary, common paper materials such as candy wrappers, coffee filters, postage stamps, sewing patterns, Christmas cards, shredded money, magazine pages, brown paper grocery bags, old maps, wrapping paper and newspapers which she calls artistic recycling. Artistic recycling is the process of using pieces of found paper to create useful and beautiful pieces of art. Strips of paper are woven together and then incorporated into the collage. “What other people consider garbage, I view as a wonderful medium for my paper-weave collage,” Kadlec says.
Kadlec honors her deceased ancestors by naming some of her artwork after her female Czechoslovakian relatives. She has spent the last several years doing genealogical research and has discovered that her Czechoslovakian surname means weaver. Kadlec also has pieces that pay tribute to influential women in history such as Shirley Chisholm, Betsy Ross and Anastasia Romanov.
She has studied art, fashion and accessories design at Pasadena City College, Otis Parsons, UCLA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her artwork has been exhibited both nationally in group shows and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. She has won several grants for her solo exhibits. Her third solo exhibit was held in November 2004 at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Westwood, California. Her artwork has been published in Artist’s Sketchbook, The Artist’s Magazine, Art Business News, Art Calendar and Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot magazine.
Kadlec has won numerous awards for her fiber art and also designs and creates furniture collage and wearable art garments. Her magazine articles have appeared in The Artist’s Magazine, Art Calendar, American Sewing Guild Notions, Threads and Fiberarts. Her designs have been published in Arts & Crafts, BEAD&Button, PaperWorks, Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine and the Wearable Art Connection newsletter.
Kadlec was born in Green Bay, is a former resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
