Miniature Neighborhoods To Fill The Flatiron Building’s Prow Art Space NYC

Artist Christina Lihan, previously seen in New York City in an exhibit at the CitiGroup Center, is best known for her intricate, hand-cut, three dimensional streetscapes. On Thursday, September 17th, she will unveil her exhibit “Constructing from the Razor’s Edge,” which will be housed inside the historic Flatiron Building’s Prow Art Space. The space, which is about thirty feet long, will have cut paper buildings suspended from the twelve-foot high ceiling of the narrow, ten-foot wide gallery. The above is a preview Lihan shared with us of the paper sculptures that will grace the space.

Ms. Lihan’s process begins with a charcoal sketch, which is enlarged to the size of the finished piece – approximately four feet by eight feet. Then she begins at the base of the building, adding upwards and adjusting over her charcoal template. The process continues, adding and layering more buildings, including the detailed balconies, windows and mullions. She uses watercolor paper to carve, cut, score, bend and fold, forming her intricate three-dimensional pieces. Formally trained as an architect, Ms Lihan has lived all over, including such inspirational places as London, Paris, Italy and San Francisco, to name a few. She currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Sprint Flatiron Prow Art Space has also exhibited works by Edward Hopper (Nighthawks), Cindy Kane (Eyes on the Ground), Hu Bing (Shattered Debris) and Lin Yan (Flora Sutra) to name a few. “Constructing from the Razor’s Edge” will be on exhibit until mid-December, and you can follow the Prow Art Space on Facebook.

Next, discover the Top 10 Secrets of the Flatiron Building. You can follow the author at AFineLyne.