8′ X 4′
Photo courtesy of Ben Krantz of Ben Krantz Studio
Welcome to the world of Debra A. Collins — a San Francisco Bay Area artist who carved a niche for herself through intricate hand-cut paper creations that blended precision with poetic depth. After a distinguished 36-year career as a high school art educator, Debra turned her focus to a new chapter of artistic exploration.
Originally drawn to painting, her creative path took a transformative turn after she discovered a TED Talk on papercutting. The monumental yet ethereal works featured in the talk ignited a passion that led her into the delicate and expressive realm of papercutting.
Debra’s work explored themes of meditation through mandalas, the intricate beauty of nature, spiritual reflection, and the evolving relationship between humanity and the digital age. Her pieces invited viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with layers of meaning woven into each cut.
Within just one year of embracing papercutting, Debra’s work was featured in the 2020 de Young Museum Open Show. Her artistic journey continued to flourish, with exhibitions at the 2023 Shanghai International Paper Art Biennial, the 2022 and 2024 Crocker-Kingsley Art Competition, the 2022 Brand 50 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, the 2022 Cimarron National Works on Paper Exhibition, and again at the 2023 de Young Museum Open Show.
Debra A. Collins 