Felicia van Bork transforms printmaking into layered collages that balance intuition and structure, turning discarded monoprints into vibrant compositions of movement and meaning. Her process embraces play, experimentation, and material reinvention, revealing unexpected harmony within fragmentation.

Colleen Cunningham’s paper collages are a mesmerizing fusion of impulse, control, and layered consciousness. Drawing from myriad sources, her baroque compositions explore the relationships between seemingly disparate elements, transforming space and narrative into psychedelic, cohesive dreamscapes. Each piece invites viewers to linger, uncovering the intricate layers of meaning embedded in her waking visions.

Based in Joshua Tree on unceded Cohuilla/Serrano land, Corinna Rosella creates immersive works that blend analog photography, collage, and pressed flora. Their art examines grief, ecological awareness, magic, and ancestral connections, inviting viewers to witness unseen rituals, cycles of death and rebirth, and the quiet power of transformation in everyday life.

Amy Handy, the creative force behind The Alchemist’s Lair, combines paint, old photographs, mosaics, and found objects into richly layered mixed media collages. Each piece is finished with resin, evoking the feeling of being preserved in time like a fossil in amber. Drawing on her experiences as a costume designer, pottery studio owner, and freelance editor, Handy transforms her multidisciplinary background into artworks that are simultaneously vibrant, mysterious, and deeply evocative. She exhibits widely in Queens, New York, and is preparing for an upcoming show at Maple Grove Cemetery’s cultural center.

Kerry Krogstad’s latest series with The Meta Muse invites viewers into a liminal space between endings and beginnings. Through hand-cut collage, digital compositing, and symbolic imagery of mirrors, ritual, and cosmic landscapes, her work illuminates the quiet moments of introspection and transformation that emerge when darkness is met with reverence rather than fear.

Nikki Painter’s mixed-media Garden works on paper transform observation and pattern into meditative, vibrant compositions. Combining drawing and collage, her Night Gardens explore depth, energy, and the quiet edge of beauty in nature. Through her work, she invites viewers to reflect on the fragility and astonishing richness of life.

Chris Beaty’s collage-inspired paintings and drawings transform fragments and interruptions into layered visual narratives. His work maps the nonlinear rhythms of perception and identity, inviting viewers to navigate spaces where meaning dissolves, reforms, and flows with intensity.

New York City–based artist Tracy von Ahsen creates hand-cut analog collages that merge memory, myth, and personal transformation. Featured in the Lightness of Being virtual exhibition, her work explores liminal moments where lightness emerges through stillness and emotional release, inviting viewers into layered psychological spaces of reflection and introspection.

Lauren Crasco, a San Francisco–based visual artist and production designer, presents her ongoing collage series in Create! Magazine’s Lightness of Being virtual exhibition. Combining vintage and contemporary magazine imagery with botanical elements, Crasco distills feminine archetypes into sparse, contemplative compositions. Her work invites viewers to reflect on personal identity, the essence of beauty, and the subtle narratives hidden within each solitary figure.

Kate Street, a Southsea-based artist, curator, and lecturer, explores the complexity of the female body through collage, sculpture, and installation. Featured in Create! Magazine’s Lightness of Being exhibition, her work challenges embedded ideologies within visual culture, using found imagery and material tensions to disrupt traditional narratives. With recurring motifs of figuration, landscape, craft, and erotica, Street invites viewers to reconsider femininity as a site of both vulnerability and power.

Charles Clary’s meticulously hand-cut paper artwork fuse typography, Southern charm, and intricate layering to create dynamic works that explore the power of language. His series Text-I-Monials transforms common expressions into visually striking, multi-dimensional compositions. Represented by Paradigm Gallery + Studio and R02 Gallery, Clary’s work has been exhibited internationally and featured in WIRED, Hi-Fructose, Create! Magazine, and more. Read our interview with Clary in Issue 49 to learn more about his process and inspiration.

AQ Volume 5 artist Kate McCammon creates deeply personal and immersive collages that explore memory, grief, and self-discovery. Inspired by family photographs, journals, and layered textures, her Journal Portraits series reconstructs moments of connection and vulnerability.

San Francisco-based artist Debra Cook Shapiro masterfully blends expressive brushstrokes and intricate collages to explore the emotions at the heart of social interactions. Her paintings celebrate both exuberance and quiet reflection, drawing inspiration from lush gardens, Mediterranean beaches, and intimate gatherings. Shapiro’s work invites viewers to experience the nuanced emotions of fleeting moments, as seen through the eyes of peripheral figures at these celebrations. Explore the joy, nostalgia, and complexity of human connections in her latest works.

Amy Spassov’s art, honed over three decades of self-directed exploration, reflects her profound connection to nature. Working with layers of paint and collage, she embarks on a journey of discovery with every piece she creates. Read about her process, the peace she finds in her studio, and how her work has resonated with collectors and art lovers worldwide.

Indigene Theresa Gaskin’s narrative collages explore themes of identity, experience, and personal storytelling. With over two decades of artistic practice, she creates rich, layered compositions that merge symbols, forms, and words into evocative visual stories. Born in the Bronx to Caribbean heritage, Gaskin’s work invites viewers to embark on their own journey through her intricate collages, each piece offering a personal connection to her life and experiences. Learn more about her creative process and the stories behind her vibrant art in our interview.

Marisa Bazan, an artist featured in AQ Volume 4, combines analog collage art and film photography to explore themes of femininity, beauty, and personal expression. Her work, which blends seemingly unrelated images into cohesive, thought-provoking stories, captures the complexities of being a woman. Dive into her creative process, inspirations, and how she uses collage as a visual diary to articulate her feelings and experiences. Discover how Marisa’s unique approach to art-making offers a fresh perspective on the female experience.

Natalie Armstrong, a mixed media collage artist from Louisiana, creates vibrant, female-centric works that reimagine classic pin-up aesthetics with a playful, maximalist twist. Her joyful obsession with hunting and manipulating images shines through her unique art, featured in Create! Magazine AQ Volume 4. Explore her artistic journey and the stories behind her captivating pieces.

Discover the innovative work of Tali Rose Krupkin, a Jersey City-based Israeli-American and Queer mixed-media artist. Specializing in analog collages and paper weavings made from upcycled materials, Krupkin’s art challenges conventions, explores identity, and bridges the past and present. Her work has been showcased in solo and group exhibitions across the U.S. and featured in publications like OyeDrum and Suboart Magazine. Learn more at www.talirosekrupkin.com.

Mimi Shapiro is a mid-career collage artist based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for her passion for creativity and innovative use of mixed media. Her work explores the “what if” possibilities of collage, incorporating themes of freedom, experimentation, and storytelling. Shapiro’s art has been showcased internationally, from New Zealand to Italy and New York to Mexico, earning accolades such as Best in Show at the 39th Annual Hortt Exhibition.

Sharmila Nezovic - Contemporary Abstract Painter and Performance Artist