Atlanta artist Jeffrey Wilcox Paclipan transforms recycled puzzle pieces and paper into abstract sculpture and wall art — works that draw you in for a closer look.
The artist: Born in Balibago, Philippines, Paclipan grew up in an Air Force family who relocated extensively throughout his young adult life. He earned an AA degree in commercial art from the International Fine Arts College in Miami. The self-taught, multimedia artist moved to Georgia in 1996 and lives in College Park
The studios: Two. A studio space at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, where he has been a studio resident since 2020. Also a home studio, where Paclipan works at night and keeps supplies and materials, like puzzle boxes.
The art:
- Puzzle relief paintings and wall sculptures ($125 to $8,000), using discarded puzzle pieces, which are often painted in latex satin or semigloss paints.
- The Paper People series ($950). The figurative torso sculptures are created with materials, including wrapping paper, ribbons and paper bags on cardboard.
Paclipan began experimenting with recycled materials in 1989 and started his puzzle art works in 2015.
Source of puzzle pieces: Thrift stores, garage sales and friends from the Atlanta area.
By the numbers: 12,000 puzzle pieces in an average work. In larger works, 15,000 pieces.
Big breaks: Many over the years, including:
- (NSU) Museum of Art, 36thHortt Memorial Exhibition, Fort Lauderdale, 1994.
- Hathaway Contemporary Gallery representation, 2015-2018.
- Art Basel Miami Beach, SCOPE, featured artist at the Jennifer Balcos Gallery, Miami, 2021.
“Viewers of (Jeffrey’s work) in the gallery are intrigued with his process and always ask if they can touch his art,” said Balcos, owner of the Jennifer Balcos Gallery in Atlanta.
Awards & honors: Many solo and group exhibitions and installations, including:
- Fulton County Fine Arts Acquisition, “Cocoon Bloom,” Atlanta Fulton County Library, Sandy Springs branch, 2019.
- Gathered IV, Museum Of Contemporary Art, GA, 2019.
- ArtFields, an annual arts competition in Lake City, SC, 2021.
- Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Studio, resident artist, 2020-2023.
What’s new:
- Investigating dimensional possibilities with puzzle relief works.
- Experimenting further with paper and mixed media series by combining ink drawings over the papers to create figurative and landscape motifs.
Where to buy:
- jwpaclipan.com
- jenniferbalcosgallery.com
Get social at:
- Facebook: Jeffrey Wilcox Paclipan
- Instagram: @jeffreywilcoxpaclipan
