Plumbing the rhythms of the ocean and marine life, Amy Genser creates undulating abstractions that evoke swells, currents, reefs, and the sea floor. The artist composes elaborate wall works from rolled mulberry paper, acrylic, and wire in which patterns move and converge across swaths of blues and greens. The closer you look, the more colors emerge, revealing a meticulous attention to detail that mirrors the complexity of natural aquatic ecosystems.
Although reminiscent of the sea in many ways, Genser’s works defy instant recognition. At first glance, they may appear topographical, as if a luminous, clear sea is being viewed from above. The rolling forms are redolent of waves but also perhaps the way corals cluster around rock formations. Then, details draw us nearer: bulbous forms with cavities resemble barnacles, and extended shapes could be tentacles. This tension between the macroscopic view of an entire landscape and the microscopic examination of individual organic elements gives her pieces a dynamic, living quality.
The artist’s play on scale, texture, pattern, and depth draw us in and keep us guessing—not unlike the many enigmas of the ocean itself. And one recent project challenged Genser to work at a monumental scale. The Macallan, a single malt Scottish whisky company, commissioned her to create a monumental piece titled “Stars Below” for its Carta Nautica Collection. This high-profile collaboration provided Genser with a unique platform to translate her intimate understanding of paper manipulation into a grand narrative statement.
Both the bottle release and the artwork celebrate the time-honored transatlantic journey of the wooden barrels used to age the spirit, which travel to Scotland from Spain and the U.S. These vessels, seasoned by travel and weather, share a thematic connection with the maritime world that Genser so frequently explores in her practice. “Through layered textures, flowing forms, and rich colors, I brought to life a mythical underwater world shaped by movement, discovery, and transformation,” Genser says, reflecting on the conceptual foundation of the piece.
Genser’s creative process is as intricate as the finished sculptures themselves. By taking sheets of mulberry paper—known for its durability, fibrous texture, and ability to hold rich pigmentation—and rolling them by hand, she builds up sculptural components that act almost like individual brushstrokes or living cells. Combined with materials such as copper wire, thermoplastic, mesh, and acrylic paint applied over supportive substrates like wood or PVC, these elements are clustered together to form dense, tactile topographies. Works like “Peacefully Chaotic” (2026), measuring 42 by 62 by 8 inches, and the 2024 piece “Need,” which incorporates mesh and copper wire on PVC, showcase her ongoing experimentation with dimension and structural depth.
In pieces like “Marine Dream” (2025) and “Coalesce” (2026), the horizontal orientation reinforces the sense of looking across a vast horizon of water or peering into a submerged trench. Meanwhile, smaller square and circular compositions such as “Wrinkles” (2024) and “Suspended” (2026) focus the viewer’s attention inward, concentrating the sense of fluid movement and organic accumulation into compact, highly concentrated bursts of color and form. The varied dimensions—ranging from intimate wall panels to expansive installations—demonstrate the versatility of her chosen medium and her steady exploration of spatial relationships.
Through her continuous engagement with the textures and rhythms of the natural world, Genser bridges the gap between fine art and tactile craft. Her ability to evoke the vastness and mystery of the ocean using humble materials like paper and wire speaks to a deep-rooted dedication to material exploration. As she continues to take on ambitious projects like her commission for The Macallan’s Carta Nautica Collection, her work expands the boundaries of mixed-media sculpture, offering viewers a mesmerizing portal into a handcrafted aquatic universe.
