Sylvia Estes’s sculptural work explores our culture of consumption and disposability. Each piece—crafted from discarded paper products such as food packaging, junk mail, and shoebox tissue paper—is designed to hold or cast light. By finding purpose in otherwise overlooked materials, Sylvia emphasizes that the potential for artfulness surrounds us, even in a world often overwhelmed by debris.

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Sylvia graduated from Bard College with a degree in Art History and Human Rights. After college, she returned to the Finger Lakes region to pursue regenerative agriculture. Living closer to the land deeply influenced her artistic vision, inspiring her to create work that melds sculpture with a foundation in environmentalism.

Sylvia’s work is also shaped by her experience working with refugees, which was both a profound inspiration and a humbling encounter with resilience and resourcefulness. Witnessing the necessity of finding value and use in salvaged materials left a lasting impression on her lifestyle and artistic practice.

Sylvia is now based in the Hudson Valley, where she works as a gallery director and curator.

Read this interview for more information about Sylvia’s process.