Michael Velliquette is internationally acclaimed for his meticulously crafted paper sculptures, transforming a humble material into extraordinary forms. With exceptional skill, he cuts, rolls, folds, and layers paper to construct intricate, multidimensional works. The remarkable textures and details of his pieces reflect a mastery developed over two decades of working with this medium. By utilizing an inherently delicate, everyday material, Velliquette’s paper sculptures embody a unique blend of strength, intent, and durability, where the fleeting and the eternal coexist. These creations simultaneously present themselves as abstract layers of colored paper and as evocative structures that resemble fortress-like constructions, tiered mandalas, or intricate mechanical gears. Each piece is cut and assembled entirely by hand, requiring hundreds of hours to complete. Through a meticulous and intuitive process of measuring, cutting, and assembling vibrant paper into intricate sculptural abstractions, Velliquette imbues this simple material with a transformative, mesmerizing power. Thematically, Velliquette’s work explores ideas such as the sincerity of handmade art, the labor inherent in abstraction, the humility of modest materials, and the ability of something seemingly simple to evoke profound visual emotion and meaning.
Michael Velliquette’s work has been featured in prestigious group exhibitions worldwide, including the “Shanghai International Paper Art Biennial” at the Paper+ Studio and Shanghai Fengxian Museum, “Global Paper” at the Stadtmuseum in Deggendorf, Germany, and “The Possibilities of Paper” at the Torggler Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia. Other notable exhibitions include “Open Hands: Crafting the Spiritual” at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in St. Louis, Missouri; “Paper Fascination” at the Gustav Lübke Museum in Hamm, Germany; and the “Cheongju Craft Biennale” in South Korea. His works are part of prominent permanent collections, such as the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Racine Art Museum, Ruby City in San Antonio, The Progressive Corporation, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and The Microsoft Collection. Velliquette has participated in numerous residencies and cultural exchange programs, including the Artpace International Artist-in-Residence, the SIM Residency in Reykjavik, Iceland, the John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Residency, and the Vermont Studio Center. His international experiences extend to EUARCA in Kassel, Germany, Kloster Dornach in Basel, Switzerland, and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. His work has garnered attention in leading publications such as Colossal and The New York Times.
Currently, Velliquette serves as an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also teaches courses on paper arts at esteemed craft schools, including the Haystack Mountain School of Craft, the Pocosin School of Fine Craft, and the Penland School of Craft.