Browngrotta Arts Art
About Browngrotta Arts
For over 30 years, browngrotta arts has been advancing the field of contemporary fiber arts by curating and exhibiting renowned contemporary artists who celebrate the exploration of fiber art techniques and drive the unique possibilities of soft materials. Representing many of the artists who have helped define modern fiber art since the 1950s, browngrotta arts reflects the cultivated eye and intellect of its directors, husband and wife team, Tom Grotta and Rhonda Brown.
Founded in 1987 in Wilton, CT, browngrotta arts showcases unique sculptural and mixed media works with an emphasis on concept, supported by technique. The focus of the work is on the materials and the technical mastery of the artist as intrinsic to the significance of the work, prioritizing aesthetic value over utility. Museum-quality artworks by more than 100 international artists are represented through art catalogs, art fairs, co-partnered exhibits at museums, retail spaces, and an online gallery.
browngrotta arts has published nearly 50 art catalogs and placed works in private and corporate collections in the US and abroad, including the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum. They also regularly work with architects and interior designers offering consultation for commissioned artworks and site-specific installation for commercial and residential spaces.to
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Wall Hanging
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
woven wool
Category
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Wool
Roof Tile Grid
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
Jacquard woven silk, silver leaf
Category
1990s Mixed Media
Materials
Silk
Window Hanging
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
cotton, linen, plastic and wool
Category
1960s Modern More Art
Materials
Wool, Cotton, Linen, Plastic
Invading Abstraction 1-4
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
woven silk, gold leaf, photo collage screen print
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Prints
Materials
Gold Leaf
Woven Rya Basket #10-18, woven basket sculpture by Danish artist Birgit Birkkjær
By Birgit Birkkjær
Located in Wilton, CT
Linen, Japanese tatami paper (black and hand dyed with rust)
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Linen, Paper
I Mirror You, Contemporary Scandinavian Woven Textile, by Åse Ljones
By Åse Ljones
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: Hand embroidery, linen.
While making I Mirror You Ljones drew inspiration from her childhood on a little farm near the fjord in the Norwegian countryside. Naturally, the ...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Thread
Wall Hanging - Wool - by Glen Kaufman
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
braided/knotted exposed warp edges at one end, hemmed edges on the other
Category
1960s Abstract More Art
Materials
Wool
Gleaming Temples - Wall Hanging Woven Silk, Gold and Silver Leaf by Glen Kaufman
By Glen Kaufman
Located in Wilton, CT
yarn-dyed woven silk, gold and silver leaf
Category
1990s Other Art Style More Art
Materials
Silver, Gold Leaf
People's Daily News Collage - Chinese Newspapers by Toshio Sekiji
By Toshio Sekiji
Located in Wilton, CT
lacquered Chinese newspapers
Category
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Paper
Pasodoble III - Japanese Newspapers by Toshio Sekiji
By Toshio Sekiji
Located in Wilton, CT
Made of Japanese newspapers, urushi lacquer, red ochre (bengara).
Category
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Paper, Newsprint
Overture -Wall Hanging of Old Japanese Newspapers by Toshio Sekiji
By Toshio Sekiji
Located in Wilton, CT
made from old Japanese newspapers, maple frame.
woven
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Paper
Into Blue, Red & Black, Mid-Century Modern Textile Triptych by Gudrun Pagter
By Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi’. This Mid-Century Modern style tiber art triptych is co...
Category
2010s Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Linen, Thread
The Second Cousin, Contemporary woven paper wall sculpture by Grethe Wittrock
Located in Wilton, CT
The Second Cousin is exemplary of Danish artist, Grethe Wittrock's work which often includes expanses of twisted paper strands in single colors — minimal and simple yet powerful expr...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Long Hot Summer, wall sculpture by Merja Winqvist
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: printed florist paper, woven
Winqvist applies the ideal of functionalism by simplifying the forms as much as possible, while avoiding unnecessary decoration. She has expl...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper
Glow - Fan , Woven mica and bronze wall sculpture by Agneta Hobin
By Agneta Hobin
Located in Wilton, CT
Agneta Hobin of Finland is best known for impressive works in which yellow mica has been woven into metal warp; the technique and materials are the artist...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Still-life Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Hajibito (Ceramic 53), by Yasuhisa Kohyama
By Yasuhisa Kohyama
Located in Wilton, CT
Yasuhisa Kohyama shapes his asymmetrical forms using piano wire, creating distinctive rough surfaces. The clay with its feldspar nuggets creates a tac...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay
Relief, abstract boat wall sculpture by Jane Balsgaard
By Jane Balsgaard
Located in Wilton, CT
This abstract boat wall sculpture by Danish artist, Jane Balsgaard, is constructed with iron, bamboo, willow, fishing line and handmade plantpaper...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Kasuri Panel 145, Japanese Silk Textile Wall Hanging by Jun Tomita
Located in Wilton, CT
This silk ikat textile wall hanging is by Japanese fiber artist, Jun Tomita.
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Silk
Garden Shadows: City Shadows, Paul Furneaux, Abstract Geometric Wall Sculpture
Located in Wilton, CT
For Paul Furneaux, initially cut off from his studio in the past year, his garden became his obsession, as he undertook an extensive renovation. Returnin...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Gesso, Wood, Woodcut
Interlacing-B, Braided Textile Wall Sculpture by Keiji Nio
Located in Wilton, CT
Keiji Nio is a Japan based artist who is known for impeccable tapestry and textile works. Nio’s work is done through the traditional technique of Kumihimo, a...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Nylon, Wood
Map of Warm Area, Contemporary Textile Wall Sculpture by Mia Olsson
By Mia Olsson
Located in Wilton, CT
Agave sisalana, better known as sisal, is a cactus-like plant cultivated in Mexico and Central America. Known for its stiff fiber, most often used to make ropes, rugs and even construction materials, sisal fibers are yellow-white in their natural state. Through a kind of alchemy, Swedish fiber artist Mia Olsson manipulates the prickly sisal into airy, semi-transparent wall...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile
Kuu #410, Contemporary Walnut and Maple Japanese Sculpture by Masako Yoshida
Located in Wilton, CT
The constructions Masako Yoshida envisions are built by interlacing sheets of walnut bark with string made of nettle.
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Maple, Walnut
No. 55 (Book of Changes), Contemporary Fiber Wall Sculpture by Eva Vargö
By Eva Vargö
Located in Wilton, CT
Eva Vargo fuses paper and linen-thread materials into her weaving techniques. No. 55 (Book of Changes) was hand woven with linen, thread, paper strings and gold leaves. This, like ma...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Gold Leaf
Reserve, Contemporary Hand-woven tapestry by Ane Henriksen
By Ane Henriksen
Located in Wilton, CT
In the eerily beautiful Reserve, Henriksen highlights ecological peril. "Nature is threatened,” she observes. "I hope this is expressed in my image, which at first glance can be seen...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Rubber, Oak, Acrylic
Endless Graduation, Paper sculpture by Norie Hatakeyama
By Norie Hatakeyama
Located in Wilton, CT
Hatekayama works with factory-made paper-packing tape to realize her geometric concerns. It is an experimental material that enables her to break free from traditional limitations.
...
Category
1980s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Rice Paper
Complex Plaiting Series Two Force, by Norie Hatakeyama
By Norie Hatakeyama
Located in Wilton, CT
Hatekayama works with factory-made paper-packing tape to realize her geometric concerns. It is an experimental material that enables her to break free from traditional limitations.
...
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Paper
Return Wind, contemporary paper sculpture by Mutsumi Iwasaki
By Mutsumi Iwasaki
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: Handmade paper, paper string, wax
After working as a textile artist for nearly two decades, in 1998, Iwasaki began making both baskets and her own paper. In 2000, her new...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper, Wax
Charcoal, contemporary paper sculpture by Mutsumi Iwasaki
By Mutsumi Iwasaki
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: Newspaper, paper string and India ink
After working as a textile artist for nearly two decades, in 1998, Iwasaki began making both baskets and her own paper. In 2000, her...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper, India Ink
Soul of a Big Blue Bowl, Contemporary Wall Sculpture by Jin-Sook So
By Jin-Sook So
Located in Wilton, CT
Jin-Sook So’s work is informed by her time spent in Korea, Sweden and Japan. She uses transparent steel mesh cloth, which she burns, paints, electroplates in gold or silver, sews an...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Silver, Gold Leaf, Steel
Emerging From Chaos, Contemporary Basket by Kari Lønning
By Kari Lønning
Located in Wilton, CT
Kari Lonning has been a full-time contemporary basketmaker since 1975. She is best known for her double-walled constructions and a complex weaving process she refers to as her “hairy...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Organic Material, Wood
Willow Wave Basket
Located in Wilton, CT
Wood was integral to the artistic practice of the late Markku Kosonen of Finland. An important aspect of his work was the ability to express things; cra...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Organic Material, Wood, Found Objects
Sound of the Fjord, Contemporary Scandinavian Woven Textile, by Åse Ljones
By Åse Ljones
Located in Wilton, CT
Åse Ljones’ hand-embroidered tapestry Sound on the Fjord reflects Ljones’ upbringing on a small rural farm, where sea and nature were close by. Ljones start...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Thread
Sai, Japanese Ceramic Sculpture by Yasuhisa Kohyama
By Yasuhisa Kohyama
Located in Wilton, CT
Yasuhisa Kohyama shapes his asymmetrical forms using piano wire, creating distinctive rough surfaces. The clay with its feldspar nuggets creates a tac...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay
Paper Sculpture IV, Abstract boat sculpture by Jane Balsgaard
By Jane Balsgaard
Located in Wilton, CT
Paper Sculpture IV (2020) is part of a series of abstract boat-like objects by Danish sculptor, Jane Balsgaard. The minimalist construction consists of ...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Plexiglass, Wood, Handmade Paper, Bamboo Paper
Paper Sculpture III, Abstract boat sculpture by Jane Balsgaard
By Jane Balsgaard
Located in Wilton, CT
Paper Sculpture III (2020) is part of a series of abstract boat-like objects by Danish sculptor, Jane Balsgaard. The minimalist construction consists of...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Plexiglass, Wood, Handmade Paper, Bamboo Paper
Pussy Willow X, Sculpture by Finnish Artist, Markku Kosonen
Located in Wilton, CT
Kosonen's Pussy Willow X can be displayed on a surface as a vessel, or be mounted as a wall sculpture.
Wood was integral to the artistic practice of the late Markku Kosonen...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Organic Material, Wood, Found Objects
Spiral III, Willow Wall Sculpture by Finnish Artist, Markku Kosonen
Located in Wilton, CT
Wood was integral to the artistic practice of the late Markku Kosonen of Finland. An important aspect of his work was the ability to express things; cra...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Organic Material, Wood, Found Objects
Subcontinent, Woven Newspaper Wall Hanging by Toshio Sekiji
By Toshio Sekiji
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: Red, green, black, natural lacquer, Hindi (Delhi) and Malayalam (Kerala State) newspapers.
This artwork is framed in a maple wood shadowbox with Optium Museum plexiglass.
Toshio Sekiji...
Category
1990s Conceptual Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oak, Textile, Plexiglass, Mixed Media, Found Objects, Paper, Lacquer, Ta...
Orange Pleats, Contemporary Textile Wall Sculpture by Mia Olsson
By Mia Olsson
Located in Wilton, CT
Orange Pleats is made of sisal fibers, dyed and formed in a technique unique to Mia Olsson. The sisal fibers used by the Swedish artist are shiny and reflect the light, even more whe...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile
Blue/Purple Pleats, Contemporary Textile Wall Sculpture by Mia Olsson
By Mia Olsson
Located in Wilton, CT
Blue/Purple Pleats is made of sisal fibers, dyed and formed in a technique unique to Mia Olsson. The sisal fibers used by the Swedish artist are shiny and reflect the light, even mor...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile
Sen Man Na Yu Ta, Contemporary Japanese Woven Wall Sculpture by Kyoko Kumai
By Kyoko Kumai
Located in Wilton, CT
This steel thread woven wall sculpture was constructed by Japanese fiber artist, Kyoko Kumai.
"Thin pieces of stainless steel wire mass-produced in a fact...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Steel
15 Black Boxes, Wall Sculpture by Jin-Sook So
By Jin-Sook So
Located in Wilton, CT
This abstract geometric wall sculpture was done by fiber artist, Jin-Sook So (b. 1950, Korea).
So’s work is informed by her time spent in Korea, Sweden and Japan. She uses transpar...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Silver, Gold Leaf, Steel
Into Black, Gudrun Pagter, Abstract geometric tapestry
By Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi'. Into Black is one in a three part series.
“In the ref...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Linen, Thread
Into Red, Gudrun Pagter, Abstract geometric tapestry
By Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi'. Into Red is one in a three part series.
“In the refin...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Linen, Thread
Into Blue, Gudrun Pagter, Abstract geometric tapestry
By Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi'. Into Blue is one in a three part series.
“In the refi...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Linen, Thread
Four Seasons
Located in Wilton, CT
Winqvist applies the ideal of functionalism by simplifying the forms as much as possible, while avoiding unnecessary decoration. She has explained that in the parts of her works that...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper
Bow-White
By Masakazu Kobayashi
Located in Wilton, CT
"[Masakazu Kobayashi's] woven Waves in dyed threads rank[s] among the most perfect in aesthetic effectiveness ever produced by contemporary weaving….This Japanese way of conjuring up such transparency with threads, of perceiving the thread itself as something creative is highly artistic. They celebrate aesthetic beauty in a way no one can elude.” From “Textile Art and the Avant-garde,” Erika Billeter (Contemporary Textile Art: the Collection of the Pierre Pauli...
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Permutation 7
By Tamiko Kawata
Located in Wilton, CT
Discarded materials are important to Tamiko Kawata, not only for environmental issues but also to reflect her current life. Her choice of materials and interpretation are influenced ...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Canvas, Wood Panel, Pins
Staplers (1976), Woven Paper Sculpture by Ed Rossbach
By Ed Rossbach
Located in Wilton, CT
Ed Rossbach was known for experimenting by using unexpected materials and symbols in his baskets, vessels, and assemblages including plastic, cotton balls,...
Category
1970s Pop Art Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper
Ceramic 13, Japanese Ceramic Sculpture by Yasuhisa Kohyama
By Yasuhisa Kohyama
Located in Wilton, CT
Yasuhisa Kohyama shapes his asymmetrical forms using piano wire, creating distinctive rough surfaces. The clay with its feldspar nuggets creates a tac...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay
Marco, Mid-Century Polish Tapestry by Zofia Butrymowicz
Located in Wilton, CT
Zofia Butrymowicz (1904-1987, Warsaw, Poland) was one in a select group of Polish textile artists who were first introduced in Chicago, USA in the 1970s by legendary dealers Anne and Jacques Baruch. Butrymowicz's body of work continues to influence the fiber art world to this day.
"New experiments in art have always been of interest to me" Butrymowicz once observed, "whether I agree with them or not, and therefore I never pass by and I am never indignant at any expression in art. I strongly believe that in the wide range of experiments there will also be some elements of the development of culture."
During the post-war period, when the countries of Eastern Europe were locked down behind the Iron Curtain, weavers there found materials in short supply. As a result, many of these artists turned to unconventional materials such as metal, paper and reeds. Zofia Butrymowicz, of Poland, recognized for innovative works in 60s and 70s, used heavy, irregular wools, barely spun at all. In 1969, she visited Canadian weaver, Mariette Rousseau-Vermette and her husband, painter and ceramicist, Claude Vermette, outside Montreal where the couple lived and worked. Zofia and Mariette had both been participants in International Tapestry Biennials in Lausane, Switzerland in the 60s and in Wall Hangings at the MoMA in New York in 1969.
Butrymowicz stayed with the Vermettes for several months, using Mariette’s looms to create tapestries that were displayed with Claude’s ceramics at a local gallery. Butrymowicz used wool from Mariette’s source. Mariette was particular about the color and intensity of her wool — she worked with technicians to perfect the spinning and dyeing so that the wool had a silky luster and dyed “more beautifully” than mechanically spun wool. The wool was a marked departure from the material Butrymowicz had access to in Poland. She “painted” her weavings with colors and shadings of yarns, including only a shimmering suggestion of a shape, often a circle, as she had done in the past, but the glisten and sumptuousness of the yarn in these works set them apart from her previous weavings.
Selected exhibitions: Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois; National Museum, Poznan, Poland; National Museum, Warsaw, Poland; Skopje Museum of Contemporary Art, Poland; Exempla, Munich, Germany; Museum of Modern Art, Pasadena, California; Pierre Pauli...
Category
1960s Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Wool
Silver Waves, Contemporary Tapestry by Adela Akers
By Adela Akers
Located in Wilton, CT
Silver Waves, Adela Akers, linen, horsehair, paint & metal foil, 63” x 24”, 2014
“There is a mathematical discipline in the way the work is constructed,” ...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Foil
Angled Blue, Contemporary Geometric Tapestry by Adela Akers
By Adela Akers
Located in Wilton, CT
Adela Akers (b. 1933, Santiago de Compostela, Spain) is a Spanish-born textile and fiber artist. She is Professor Emeritus (1972 to 1995) at the Tyler Scho...
Category
1980s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Linen, Wool
"Lyric Space" Contemporary Korean Textile Wall Sculpture
Located in Wilton, CT
"Lyric Space" Korean silk fabric and handmade ramie threads, maple floater frame.
This contemporary silk textile piece is by Korean fiber artist, Shin You...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Silk, Thread
Fractured III (Red), Vintage Paper Straw Wall Sculpture by Karyl Sisson
Located in Wilton, CT
Karyl Sisson’s Fractured III, makes use of vintage paper drinking straws to graphically represent in red and white the discontents seen and felt in Americ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Paper, Found Objects, Polymer
Tonos Rojos, Carolina Yrarrázaval, handwoven textile
Located in Wilton, CT
This handwoven contemporary textile sculpture, Tonos Rojos, was done by Chilean fiber artist, Carolina Yrarrázaval (b. 1960). Yrarrázaval explains...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Linen
Azul, Carolina Yrarrázaval, handwoven textile
Located in Wilton, CT
This handwoven contemporary textile sculpture, Azul, was done by Chilean fiber artist, Carolina Yrarrázaval (b. 1960). Yrarrázaval explains her in...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Linen
Mineral II, Carolina Yrarrázaval, handwoven textile
Located in Wilton, CT
This handwoven contemporary textile sculpture, Mineral II, was done by Chilean fiber artist, Carolina Yrarrázaval (b. 1960). Yrarrázaval explains ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Cotton, Linen
Brocado en Lino, Carolina Yrarrázaval, handwoven textile
Located in Wilton, CT
This handwoven contemporary textile sculpture, Brocado en Lino, was done by Chilean fiber artist, Carolina Yrarrázaval (b. 1960). Yrarrázaval expl...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Linen, Cotton
Rojo, Carolina Yrarrázaval, handwoven textile
Located in Wilton, CT
This handwoven contemporary textile sculpture, Rojo, was done by Chilean fiber artist, Carolina Yrarrázaval (b. 1960). Yrarrázaval explains her in...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Fabric, Textile, Linen
