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Isobelle Ouzman’s “Altered Books” Series Turns Literature Into Sculpture

Isobelle Ouzman is committed to working with reclaimed materials. The Seattle, Washington-based artist upcycles old hardcovers for her "Altered Books" series, which combines illustration and sculpture to create enchanted hollows inside of discarded titles. With a blade, Ouzman cuts away layers of pages, converting them into passageways into mysterious worlds. She is drawn to organic shapes and often decorates her "Altered Books" with opulent flora. The books become magical forests that evoke the ways reading fiction allows one to dive into an alternate universe.

Isobelle Ouzman is committed to working with reclaimed materials. The Seattle, Washington-based artist upcycles old hardcovers for her “Altered Books” series, which combines illustration and sculpture to create enchanted hollows inside of discarded titles. With a blade, Ouzman cuts away layers of pages, converting them into passageways into mysterious worlds. She is drawn to organic shapes and often decorates her “Altered Books” with opulent flora. The books become magical forests that evoke the ways reading fiction allows one to dive into an alternate universe.

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