Irene Yesley's Layered Plexiglass Paintings Create Actual Depth

Irene Yesley, a mixed media artist born in Spokane, Washington, creates layered works on plexiglass that achieve actual physical depth. After earning an MFA in Printmaking from universities in Washington, Arizona, and Massachusetts, she became a fiber artist, weaving rugs and large tapestries for decades. Frustrated by not seeing the full piece on the loom, she sold her equipment and experimented with plexiglass after repairing her mother's table. Now she paints on up to three layers of plexiglass, stacking them with 1/8-inch spacers. Recently, she has been making 3D folded paper compositions enclosed in bespoke plexiglass boxes. Her non-objective work features grids, repeating patterns, and influences from landscapes and calligraphy. She lives in California's San Joaquin Valley, where she has a large studio.