Kanchan Mahon is a self-taught artist using the medium of hand-cut paper collage.
Her art is quixotic, vibrant and otherworldly. Images are combined with intricate pattern, rich texture.
The qualities and concepts embodied by butterflies, flowers and birds infuse these pieces with the rich symbolism of the natural world. These women dream of flight, like the birds they see, They long for change and to transform themselves, as do moths and butterflies. There is a flowering of self.
In these couplings of myth and psyche, her art celebrates the loveliness and liveliness of women. She calls these images of vivid color and intricate detailed patterns “Dream Images.”
To learn more about Kanchan or to purchase a piece of her work, visit her website at
…. and now for our exclusive interview with Kanchan Mahon
How would you describe your art?
Surreal rich, lush with a dense patterning or bright, saturated bold bright hues. My art incorporates natural symbols, such as butterflies, moths, birds and flowers to suggest a tale. I try not to tell stories, only suggest them.
How long have you been an artist and how did you become an artist?
Well, aren’t we all artists at birth? I began making collages in 2007.
What is your favorite medium and why?
I love collage. I can use paintings and drawings as sources, but I am freer using collage. There is complete freedom in collage. If I want to try different things, I can incorporate it into the collage. I can try out different pieces and compositions before gluing down anything. It’s very forgiving. Mistakes are sometimes genius!
Pick one work of art from your portfolio and tell us the story behind it. Why does this piece have meaning to you? What steps did you take to create the piece?
“The Mother” was perhaps my third collage, two-foot square, but one of the few concept pieces I’ve made. It was one of the only one whose meaning was set from the start. It is an image of a pregnant woman, with her gown full of people. I had such fun making it, from trying to find teeny little people, to the two weeks that it took to finish the background.
The Mother
Tell us about one medium, technique or style that you would like to try working with (that you have not tried before) and why you would like to try this.
I would love to try assemblage, working in another dimension appeals to me. I suppose that I haven’t tried it before because all of the tricks I have to give pieces depth would be useless.
How do you make time for art?
I make sure to only work 32 hours per week. This keeps me centered, and not overstressed. I find time to collage after work and on weekends.
If you could imagine the “perfect art day” for yourself, what would it be like?
A perfect day for me would be to wake up facing the rising sun from my window and feel coastal breezes through the room. I’d swim, do yoga on the beach, read and collage. All day long I’d hear the music from my husband’s guitar. I would have all my materials handy and no phone to bother me. On a really perfect day, my papers will have magically cut themselves up, so all I’d have to do is compose and glue.
If you could spend 24 hours with one artist, living or historical, who would you want to spend the day with and why? What would the two of you do?
I would spend the day with Alfons Mucha the Art Nouveau Master. He has the ability to paint gorgeous realistic portraits but chose to paint his portraits in pure line and color. We could talk about symbolism and allegory and I would watch him put his magical swirls all over his gorgeous images.
Do you have any tips or advice for aspiring artists?
Try collage, you’ll have the ability to express yourself without worrying about the technical aspects of painting and drawing. Most importantly trust a few people to give you critique. Then take everyone else’s opinion of your art as if it were a gift from a passing stranger. If you like it enjoy it. But if you did not like it, simply throw it away. Don’t let people’s opinion of your art stop you from making it.
A very interesting interview! Amazing collage work!
Wow! Wonderful work.Rich, elegant and original.
Thank you for sharing.
As one self taught collage artist to another I enjoyed your work and your comments. You enjoy what you do. That is easy to see. I am the same. I compose my art from magazine fragments and other sources to create an image that is pleasing to me. Real satisfaction comes from that.
Thank you.
Janae
Hi, Love your work. You mentioned the tricks you use to give things depth. Would you mind sharing a few? How do you keep your collage pictures organized? And lastly, you work 32 hours a week. That is equivalent to a full time job! I was wondering what field your ‘other’ job was. Thank You, Joanne
Thank you very much Joanne!
I like to put things in front of and behind the subject in my collages. That gives the hillusion of depth, especially if there is overlap between the figure and the object.
Another thing is simply to put a very small thing in the background. This leaves the viewer with the sense that there is depth to the background.
I keep my papers organized by subject: faces, natural elements (birds, flowers and butterflies, these used to be separate, but I got lazy), scraps of patterned paper and full size patterns.
If you meant how do I keep the finished products organized, then the answer is that I don’t ! Their all over my house.
And lastly I am a doctor ( a psychiatrist) in private practice.
I would love to learn more about your tools and suggestions. I’m a retired rabbi, marriage & family therapist & hospice team member, and have been writing weaving symbols from Jewish mystical text as ‘medicine’ for the soul for women.
I’d love to weave this into collage. I’ve been searching for tools, resources and I love your work. I’d love to learn from you…hear more of the art support you use, where you find your images, if you sketch pieces where there are no images to find, fixatives you love, techniques. If you ever offer workshops or instruct.
Thank you, your work is stunning and so moving.