Debra Glanz

Debra is a mixed-media artist.

Debra is a mixed-media artist whose work centers on paper, curiosity, and the quiet beauty of everyday objects. Drawn to paper for its impermanence and versatility, she creates intricate boxes and assemblages that blur the line between art object and functional form. Inspired by the idea that form follows function, Debra designs pieces that are both visually intriguing and meant to be used, often revealing their greatest surprises when opened.

Her work is shaped by a lifelong fascination with materials and history. Influenced by everything from art history to the unexpected treasures discovered while wandering through museums, she draws inspiration from artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Gorey. Paper remains at the heart of her practice: sometimes purchased, sometimes repurposed, and sometimes designed by Debra herself, often combined with found objects, wood, wire, beads, or vintage elements that add narrative and character to each piece.

Debra describes her artistic approach as eclectic, precise, and driven by curiosity. Her studio process is simple: measure, cut, glue, but the results are anything but. Each box, cabinet, or assemblage becomes a small world of layered detail and discovery, often built around objects she has collected for decades. She admits to hoarding thousands of sheets of paper from around the world, happily accepting that creative obsession as part of the process.

When she isn’t in the studio, Debra enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, knitting, and the small rituals that make up daily life. Lately, she’s been exploring wooden spoon carving, another tactile way of working with her hands. Whether crafting a carefully engineered paper structure or experimenting with new materials, her work always reflects a love of making, curiosity about objects, and the quiet joy of creating something meant to be held, opened, and lived with.