— Susan Hensel – Gallery Owner
(Minneapolis, MN) — July 6, 2023 — Susan Hensel Gallery on Artsy.net is exhibiting a new online exclusive show from mixed media painter K. Daphnae Koop titled But Trailing Clouds of Glory Do We Come.
Opening June 15th and running to August 15th, the show is made up of Koop’s intricate painted wood pieces, constructed using recycled materials. Her work recombines these cast-off materials into carved wall hangings that also act as a canvas for painted ornamentation.
But Trailing Clouds of Glory Do We Come braids three central ideas — one from the artist’s personal life, one from nature, and one from our shared cultural heritage. At once autobiographical, organic, and ekphrastic, it manages to also serve the higher synthesis of all of these. The series manages this difficult and noble task by drawing on the features Koop has spent her artistic career mastering. The result brings together the simple materials of wood and stone to remind us of that eternal mystical state hidden all around. And when we glimpse it, we may finally know, or remember, true communion.
Koop was raised in Minnesota where she learned the art of traditional crafts and construction from her grandparents. She spent much of her time in rural settings, appreciating the bounty of nature. She went on to earn her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and spent most of her career in New York City.
After returning to Minnesota, she has focused on creating wall art out of found wood, combining these pieces in a quilt-like way. It is from this latest work that the series From Broken to Beautiful draws.
Koop’s work has been featured in exhibitions in New York, New England, and throughout the Midwest. It is currently held in both private and public collections.
The Susan Hensel Gallery is proud to present this incredible exhibit as an online exclusive show. The gallery focuses on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture, now available through its online space. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences.
Visit Artsy.net/susan-hensel-gallery to see the online exclusive show But Trailing Clouds of Glory Do We Come beginning April 15th and running until June 15th.
