Thomas Engelhart Obelisks

Signed and dated by artist on underside; Acrylic and shellac based inks on Ingres paper. From architectural follies of the eighteenth-century to crystalline rock formations, Thomas Engelhart translates the angles and polished surfaces of ancient artifacts into hand-painted paper objects. A Charleston, South Carolina native, Engelhart began his career in fashion, studying at Studio Berçot in Paris in the 1990s. His intuitive eye and meticulous attention to detail were cultivated designing for famed houses such as Thierry Mugler and Hermès. “Paris gave me elegance, rigor, and an understanding of quality,” reflects the artist. By absorbing the French approach to fait à la main, Engelhart flourished upon his return to New York in 2017. Engelhart’s papered obelisks and pyramid boxes are the result of a passion for antique curiosities...