limor dekel

The pandemic changed lives. Those home-bound days also changed the art that Maryland’s Limor Dekel created.

Artist: Born and raised in Israel, Dekel served as an officer in the Israeli military for two years. Afterward, she studied ceramic design at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.

In 1984, she moved to the United States and opened a ceramic art studio in Crofton, MD, selling her work in galleries, to designers and in art and craft shows throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.

A few years later, she enrolled in the University of Maryland, where she earned a degree in interior design in 1989. After graduation, Dekel did a stint in hotel design and later worked as a graphic designer and freelance artist.

In 1998, Dekel enrolled in Towson University and became a certified art teacher. She taught art for 21 years.

Studio: Dekel has a home studio in Rockville, MD. About 10 years ago, after her children grew up and moved on, she converted a large part of the lower level of her house to a studio.

In the beginning: Dekel worked for years in various art mediums, including ceramics and figurative paintings.

During the at-home days of the pandemic and the uptick in online shopping, Dekel started to create cardboard sculptures using delivery boxes.

“The repurposed material speaks to reinvention, resilience, and the overlooked beauty in what’s left behind,” said Dekel.

Art & materials: Animal and human sculptures using common and repurposed materials like cardboard and newspaper. Also sculptures made from reclaimed wood, like mushroom boards, with weathered patina. ($80 to $3,500).

What’s popular: Dogs, both free standing and the wall-hanging face cartoons.

Process:

Each piece is uniquely sculpted by layering cardboard and paper held together with glue.
Final touches include acrylic paint, patinas and metal leaf.
To ensure longevity, all sculptures are finished with a protective layer of UV-blocking varnish.

Must-have tools: Glue gun, varnish, screwdriver, saw, wire, tape, acrylic paint and brushes.

Inspirations:

Renaissance artists, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Auguste Rodin for expressive figurative art.
Antoni Gaudi for texture and organic forms.
Dance for movement and expression.
Vincent van Gogh paintings.

Fun commissions: Paper and cardboard dogs of people’s own dogs using photographs.

Recent awards/honors:

“Best in 3D Mixed Media” category at 2024 Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, GA.
Honorable Mention at 2025 Animal Portrait Show, Wild Heart Gallery, Coachella Valley, CA.

Where to buy: LimorDekel.com. Also at art shows, including: