Emma Soucek at Parrasch Heijnen

At Parrasch Heijnen in Boyle Heights, Emma Soucek’s paintings are made with repurposed paper that the artist contorts into colorful compositions. The artist recycles bills and stationery to create paper pulp that she dyes into vibrant hues before adhering it to the canvas in tactile layers. Once applied to the canvas, the paper pulp soaks up neighboring colors, creating smooth gradients that bloom across her compositions. 

Formally, the works take inspiration from quilting and textiles, which is particularly apparent in works featuring gridded squares lined up in neat rows. Others, like “I miss you, but I haven’t met you yet,” relish in more expressive gradients that roll across the canvas, interspersed with darker lines and curious collaged imagery. The exhibition is smartly paired with two works by acclaimed artist Howerdina Pindell, whose layered hole punch compositions provide a thoughtful contrast to Soucek’s paper-pulp constructions.

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Photo: Emma Soucek, “I miss you, but I haven’t met you yet,” 2021. Image courtesy of the Artist and Parrasch Heijnen, Los Angeles, CA.