Artist Kim Phillips makes her marks in the world through drawing, typography, design, paper cutting, painting and more. Her works are a pleasure to behold, and the focused intent she brings to her pieces is grounded in a faith she lives each day.
Phillips, who wanted to better understand her Jewish friends’ religion, spent a year immersed in the study of Judaism. “Well, I read an lot of books in those 12 months on theology, history, the Bible, holidays, art and more. When I finished in 2001, I told the new rabbi at the synagogue I attended ‘I want to convert.’ I did, and she’s my rabbi to this day.”
Jerusalem and the art of Jewish paper cutting • In 2005, Phillips expanded her studies as a layperson at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and then at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem where she learned the art of Jewish paper cutting.
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“I met Archie Granot. He’s a master Jewish paper cutter,” she says. “He took me under his wing and taught me the process I use today. When I returned to the states in 2006 I started paper cutting.”
Today, she sells her art online through her Hebrica.com website. She sells her text-based Judaica art for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, house blessings and more at Artisans in the Loop in University City.
Do one thing • Her works in paper cutting extend beyond the Hebraic tradition to include secular pieces. One popular piece reads “Do one thing everyday that scares you.”
The art sweeps the viewer to a perilous outcropping. A woman’s legs stand rigidly straight, toes peeking over the edge. Tightrope lines of type sway across a deep chasm, the placement, size and rhythm of each letter adding to the sense of precariousness. The combination of colors heightens the drama, while the words remind viewers to be take steps every day toward growth.
Take that big step • In October 2019, Phillips pulled up stakes from her home near Nashville and moved to St. Louis to be with her partner.
She quickly connected with the local arts community. “I am so impressed by the vibrant St. Louis art community. I’m a member of the St. Louis Artists Guild. I have a piece that was accepted into an Art St. Louis show. I’m selling my Judeaca work at Artisans in the Loop,” she says.
The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the classes Phillips had set up to teach and paused her visits to local synagogues, but it allowed her more time to work on a show opening in Nashville in March.
“I’m working on 15 pieces on the subject of Social Justice and Judaism, not only in the Torah, but in the Talmud, other texts, and in the writings of Jewish thinkers like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Louis Brandeis drawing from multiple sources in the Jewish tradition.”
A world in black and white • “I was an artist always, even as a child,” Phillips says, “but I didn’t work in color. I only worked in black and white.”
As an adult, Phillips worked in sales, marketing and graphic design, which influences her artwork today, but until her conversion to Judaism, Phillips didn’t use color.
Art of many colors • “After my conversion I began seeing things in color. When I told my rabbi, she was like ‘Oh, that’s so great,’” Phillips says.
“What drew me into Judaism is the idea of social justice,” Phillips says. “My favorite piece of Torah says ‘do not reap the corners of your fields’ — leave something for others.
“My rabbi says in Judaism, there is no such thing as an innocent bystander. You can’t stand by and do nothing. You don’t have to finish the work, but you’re not free to refrain from it either.
“These ethical ideas are what captivated me about Judaism. There’s also a concept called the Hiddur Mitzvah, doing a commandment beautifully. It drives all of my artwork.”
Tiny Creative House
Artist • Kim Phillips
Age • 62
Family • Phillips and her partner, artist Mary Ann Nye, live with two cats, Bert and Tovah
Home • St. Louis Hills
What she makes • Phillips’ main creative works have been paper cut art. She works in other media as well, including painting, mosaics and collages. In addition, she is a teacher whose art workshops attract people from all walks of life.
Where to buy • Phillips’ art is available at Artisans in the Loop and online at hebrica.com and at miscellanica.com.
How much • $85 to $350