HiiH Lights

My Artist Statement

HiiH Lights: Lâm Quảng and Kestrel Gates We are a husband-wife team who work collaboratively from concept and design through the creation of our paper light sculptures. Beginning with natural raw materials, we employ both traditional and self-taught techniques. Our days and weeks are shaped by the rhythms of papermaking, wire bending, painting, and waxing. For us, this work feels both functional and expressive. These materials offer great flexibility, allowing for intricate and exacting lines as well as loose, organic forms. Sometimes we use the absence of color; other times we use soft watery hues, or bold, striking color to bring life to each piece. A layer of wax transforms the paper into a skin-like transparency, preparing it for our final medium which is light itself. We draw extensively on the wellspring of Asian aesthetics. We are deeply inspired by the natural world and natural life cycles: by the qualities of new growth, silence and fruition. With our light sculptures, we hope to enhance these elements in other people's lives. We are represented by galleries throughout the west coast and do custom work for residential and commercial settings.