Advice Taken to Heart is a heart-shaped wooden book object that embodies the dual nature of discovering and cherishing meaningful words. The hidden pins within, each bearing delicate text, represent the balance between holding onto advice and letting it go. When these messages are worn, they become personal tokens—either as “armor” or as gentle reminders—allowing one’s inner desires or guidance to emerge and merge with their identity. The choice of materials adds layers of emotional resonance: wood symbolizes warmth and strength, velvet offers comfort, and steel signifies resilience.
Emergence: 2025 Member's Exhibition
Lewis
Eryn Lewis
Eryn Lewis is a print and book artist and educator living and working in Newark, New Jersey. She has an MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. She has received a number of awards including the Allan Edwards Award, given by the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Walter Rogalski Endowment given by Pratt Institute, The Maine College of Art – Arts Educator Fellowship and a two time recipient of Excellence in Printmaking Award given by Montclair State University. Her work has been show both here in the US and abroad.
Advice Taken to Heart
6"H x 5"W x 2"D
hand carved and painted wood enclosure with velvet cushion, paper tags and steel pins
2023
The Tree Poisoner
The Tree Poisoner tells the story of a neighbor who trespasses to poison a large tree that spans two properties. The narrative unfolds gradually, using imagery and text to deepen the reader's sense of discovery or emergence of the truth. Different paper textures and printing techniques engage touch: The rough cradle holding the cards mirrors the bark and possibly the hidden deed, while the smooth cards within evoke the tree’s vulnerable core, its essence stripped away.
7" H x 5" W x 2" D
Arches 100lb cover paper, inkjet print, wooden enclosure
2022
It is Not in the Healing We Are Made Whole
It is Not in the Healing We Are Made Whole is a book about confronting past wounds and repressed emotions to gain a deeper understanding or emergence of oneself. This is depicted through a flag book with an etched silhouette, repositioned, repeated and layered with new marks and varying opacities. As individuals explore the representation of the inner self, they uncover aspects of their identity, trauma, or needs, through mark making, text, and repetition. This in turn represents a crucial first step toward authentic healing. An accompanying pamphlet illustrates how each layer of self-discovery as new facets of identity emerge.
8"H x 4"W x 4"D
Accordion bound flag book with etching and chine collé on handmade paper
2020