Carol Paik
Phases, 2026
found wire, yarn, foil, thread, duct tape, decorative cord
Artist statement
I'm a mixed media artist, focused on repurposing discarded materials and the detritus of our everyday lives. I find that using materials that have prior history gives a deeper layer of meaning to my work. I most enjoy taking something that is overlooked, and looking at it closely. Or, taking something too frequently seen, and looking at it slightly differently. I'm interested in the emotions that we bring to the things we discard: nostalgia, guilt, desire, and loss. My goal is to give these objects--and, by extension, ourselves—new possibilities.
“Phases” makes use of humble materials I had on hand in my studio: hangers, yarn, duct tape, foil, and a length of decorative cord with fake pearls on it of unknown or unremembered origin. The circles they form represent cycles, or phases, which, although unconnected, still form a whole, and the shadow they cast is as tangible as the circles themselves. Of course the piece makes reference to the moon, but it also speaks to anything that repeats itself but is also constantly changing.
Artist bio
Carol Paik loves to explore different media and is committed to using only repurposed and found materials in her work. Her artwork has been shown, among other places, at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY; Onna House in East Hampton, NY; Galerie Étienne de Causans in Paris, France; Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition in Brooklyn, NY; Westbeth Gallery in NY, NY; Silvermine Gallery in New Canaan, CT; Yellow Studio Gallery in Cross River, NY; SVA Flatiron Gallery in NY, NY.
Carol grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and now divides her time between New York City and Pound Ridge, New York.
@capaik670
