Sylvia Estes creates sculptures from the discarded remnants of her daily life—cereal boxes, junk mail, newspapers, tissue paper. By shredding, layering, and repurposing these materials, she constructs new forms that defy their original identity. The incorporation of light in her work invites further interaction: what appears hollow by day may glow softly from within at night. This interplay between positive and negative space suggests that what seems true in the moment may be an oversimplification of a more complex story that unfolds with time. As we engage with these sculptures in space, at home, the subtle shifts in perception echo a sense of humanity, a delight akin to the ritual of lighting a candle—moments suspended in time.

Sylvia Estes is a curator and artist living in Kingston, New York.