I am a multidisciplinary visual artist—UK-born, now bouncing between the woods of North Carolina and the deep blue of St Croix, USVI.
Since graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design & Illustration, my career in art and design has spanned three decades—journeying through illustration, book design, graphic design, web design, interior design, creative direction and more. Since selling my hospitality art company (Kalisher) in 2018, I now exclusively focus on my studio art.
I’m comfortable working in all kinds of media—from ceramics to 3D printing, scanography to sketching—but my truest love is paper, whether it’s sculpting pulp or paperclay, pulling a freshly made sheet from the vat with my deckle and mold, or stitching the pages of a hand bound book.
What grabs my attention and inspires me are the patterns and forms seen in the chaos of the natural world—from the tiniest details to the abstract overview of an aerial photograph. My work creates a tension/balance between organic forms in organized spaces—whether it’s the carefully placed pieces of an assemblage or the definition of a frame. It’s my way of curating the world as I experience it around me—drawing attention to the details.
I’m at my core a passionate traveler and have taken every opportunity to get myself out into the world—not just visiting, but living and working in many different countries. My journeys have filled my sketchbooks with drawings and the surfaces of my house and studio with collected objects that incorporate themselves into my artwork.
I've been many things in my life, including a...
bookbinder
jillaroo
teacher
papermaker
waitress
student
newspaper editor
telemarketer
graphic designer
illustrator
mother
product designer
traveler
house cleaner
rock art bush guide
fine artist
creative director
business owner
wife
architect
jewelry maker
dive boat assistant
deckhand
camel handler
cruise ship lecturer
hotel housekeeper
trail guide
cook
entrepreneur
activist
commercial real estate manager
marketer
website designer and developer
crocodile feeder
nanny
reflexologist
Interior designer
travel guide researcher
search and rescue volunteer
ArtsCenter board member
jillaroo
teacher
papermaker
waitress
student
newspaper editor
telemarketer
graphic designer
illustrator
mother
product designer
traveler
house cleaner
rock art bush guide
fine artist
creative director
business owner
wife
architect
jewelry maker
dive boat assistant
deckhand
camel handler
cruise ship lecturer
hotel housekeeper
trail guide
cook
entrepreneur
activist
commercial real estate manager
marketer
website designer and developer
crocodile feeder
nanny
reflexologist
Interior designer
travel guide researcher
search and rescue volunteer
ArtsCenter board member
I hope to keep adding to this list.
— Helen Kalisher