Artist Profile

Odette Graskie (Johannesburg, South Africa) is a visual artist whose practice explores human connection, intimacy, and the emotional traces of interpersonal encounters through the transformative use of paper, thread, and drawing. Working at the intersection of sculpture, installation, and mark-making, Graskie investigates how fragile, everyday materials can embody memory, affect, and shared experience. Through labor-intensive processes of cutting, tearing, stitching, and layering, she extends the life and possibilities of paper beyond its conventional role as a surface, revealing its sculptural potential while foregrounding themes of care, repair, and material sensitivity. Her work often originates from participatory portrait-drawing sessions, where fleeting interactions are translated into intricate three-dimensional forms that occupy space through light, shadow, and movement. Graskie has been a professional artist since 2016 and completed her MA in Visual Arts (cum laude) at the University of Johannesburg in 2023. Through her thoughtful engagement with paper as both medium and metaphor, Graskie contributes to contemporary conversations around sustainability, material stewardship, and the enduring significance of human connection.