A Three-Person Exhibition Featuring Elena Ochs, Judith Ornstein, and Alexandra Jamieson. From the wreckage of consumer culture and torn pages of forgotten books, Beauty Reclaimed invites viewers into a world where memory, myth, and material transformation converge.
In this evocative three-woman exhibition, sculptor Judith Ornstein, jewelry artist Elena Ochs, and book artist Alex Jamieson share their parallel practices of giving new life to discarded things. Each artist works with humble, found materials—cardboard and vintage paper ephemera—to craft poignant, dimensional works that explore fragility, nostalgia, and endurance.
Elena Och’s decoupage jewelry turns scraps of vintage paper and historical imagery into delicate, wearable heirlooms. Her work is rooted in storytelling and personal healing—transforming torn pages and forgotten artwork into tiny talismans of beauty, myth, and resilience.
Judith Ornstein’s cardboard sculptures twist and stack with poetic tension. Reclaiming cast-offs of the recycling bins of Brooklyn her work draws on architectural forms, emotional memory, and the liminal space between permanence and impermanence. Raw edges, asymmetrical balance, and shifting shadows bring a sense of movement to her otherwise still structures, inviting contemplation on sustainability and what gives things value.
In the final layer to this conversation, Alexandra Jamieson creates altered books—resurrecting forgotten volumes with intricate collage, paint, and found imagery. Her work reimagines the physical book as a living object, layering stories old and new into tactile, visual experiences.
Together, these artists reimagine forgotten discards as wonder, revealing the unseen poetry in what’s often thrown away. Beauty Reclaimed is a testament to the power of art to reframe our relationship with the ephemeral, the broken, and the beautifully flawed.
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Judith Ornstein is a New York-based sculptor who transforms discarded cardboard into dynamic, large-scale structures. Her work explores the tensions between permanence and impermanence, sustainability and excess, rawness and elegance. Influenced by architecture, cityscapes, and 20th-century abstraction, Ornstein’s sculptures honor the overlooked materiality of everyday life while asking critical questions about value, waste, and resilience. For more information visit: https://www.judithornstein.com/ and instagram
Elena Ochs is the artist behind Folkloric, a jewelry line that transforms vintage paper ephemera into timeless, wearable art. Inspired by fairytales, mythology, and historical imagery, her one-of-a-kind pieces channel stories of loss, healing, and reinvention. Each creation acts as a small talisman of beauty and memory, connecting the past to the present with a spirit of nostalgia and quiet magic. For more information visit: https://shopfolkloric.com/collections/frontpage and instagram
Alexandra Jamieson is a Brooklyn-based artist who breathes new life into forgotten books through collage, paint, and mixed media. Her altered books are portals of personal and collective storytelling, layering the discarded past with fresh visual narratives. Inspired by the handmade, the imperfect, and the enduring power of creativity, Jamieson’s work invites viewers to find wonder in transformation and reclamation. For more information visit https://www.alexandrajamieson.art and instagram
