Totems

The Totem began as an exploration of the book as both object and symbol. Taking a material traditionally meant to be read, Karen reimagines the book for its physical qualities—its pages, typography, imagery, color, and history.

Each sculpture is constructed from individual books, meticulously folded by hand into geometric forms and assembled into a vertical composition. Through this repetitive, labor-intensive process, text and imagery dissolve into pattern, transforming something familiar into an entirely new sculptural language. The repetition of the folds creates rhythm and movement throughout the piece, while the unique characteristics of each book remain visible within the finished work.

No two Totems are alike. Books can be sourced by Karen for their color, age, subject matter, and character, or a Totem can be commissioned using books with personal significance to the client. Family libraries, yearbooks, collected volumes, and other meaningful books can become part of the sculpture, allowing the history of the original material to remain present even as its form changes.

Totems can be commissioned in a range of scales and configurations, allowing each work to respond to the space in which it will live. Suspended from above, the sculpture appears to hover just above the floor, giving a substantial vertical work an unexpected sense of lightness.

What was once meant to be read becomes something to be experienced—preserving the history of the material while giving it new form.

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Interior living room with large windows, green sofa, wooden stools, a table with a floral arrangement, and modern décor.
A chandelier made of open books hangs from the ceiling over a staircase.
Modern living room with white armchairs, a small round table with a vase of white flowers, cream curtains, and decorative hanging art, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing city buildings.
Modern hotel lobby with dark wooden stairs, white curved walls, and large glass doors in the background, decorated with a statement chandelier made of layered shells and large globe lights.
Multiple vertical hanging sculptures made of folded paper or cardboard in various geometric shapes, displayed in an art gallery.
A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, dressed in a black sleeveless top and white pants, standing inside a modern room with natural light, looking up at a tall, hanging paper art installation made of accordion-folded paper. The room has wooden fl
Close-up of paper sculptures made from folded newspaper pages with geometric shapes, including hexagons and diamonds, hanging indoors.
Close-up of a spiral chandelier made from open books with pages fanned out, hanging from the ceiling.
A hanging sculpture made of stacked, folded paper with multicolored stripes, suspended from the ceiling in a bright room with large window and white walls.
Living room with a leather sectional sofa, decorative pillows, a round coffee table with books and candles, and a large peace sign wall hanging.
Interior of an art gallery with abstract paintings on the wall and a large folded paper sculpture in the foreground.
Art installation of hanging sculptures made from stacked and folded book pages in a room with large windows.
Modern interior entryway with abstract artwork, a geometric hanging sculpture, and a starburst chandelier.
Close-up of a sculpture made from folded magazine pages arranged in a vertical, cone-like shape.
An art installation with hanging, layered, geometric paper sculptures in a gallery space.
Modern living room with a large window, bookshelf, and contemporary furniture including armchairs, a blue sofa, and metallic coffee tables.
Sculpture made from open books arranged in geometric shapes, creating a column with striking shadows on the wall.
Modern living room with a white textured armchair, black and white coffee tables, a gray sofa, and a fireplace with a black marble surround. Artworks on walls include a circular abstract piece and a black textured piece. A dining area with black chai
Hanging sculptures made of open books, arranged in geometric shapes, suspended from the ceiling in an art gallery.
Interior view of a room with wooden walls and ceiling, featuring a large arched window, a yellow chair, a small ottoman, and decorative items including table lamps and textured wall hangings.
Sculptures made from folded and arranged pages of books, hanging from the ceiling in an art gallery.
Modern living room with built-in wooden bookshelf, flat-screen TV, beige curtains, various seating including white and gray armchairs, blue sofa, decorative objects, and a large window with city view.
Living room with large windows, white curtains, beige sofas, an accent chair, glass and wood coffee tables, modern art on the wall, and a chandelier with decorative hanging elements.
Multiple hanging art sculptures in an art gallery, creating shadows on the wall. The sculptures are made of layered, geometric shapes in neutral tones, suspended from the ceiling.
Living room with a brown leather sofa, patterned pillows, a black circular coffee table, a white wall with a large black peace sign, a modern floor lamp, and a wooden dining table with black chairs and a driftwood sculpture.
Modern home office with black desk, white chair, artwork, plants, and decorative items, with wood accents and chandelier
A living room with white sofas, a wooden side table with a flower vase, a gray coffee table, a hanging paper art installation, and a wall sculpture of a purple heart.
Two large sculptures made from folded magazines, resembling abstract geometric shapes.