"Upcycled and Deconstructed" showcases the artwork of Loulie Scharf. Join us to meet the artists, enjoy wine and snacks and see this beautiful show. Opening reception is on Friday November 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at WHQR's MC Erny Gallery.
In her solo exhibition “Upcycled and Deconstructed,” Loulie Scharf invites viewers into a world built from remnants, fragments, and rediscovered materials. Symbols and elements such as lions, houses, and human figures appear throughout the work, emerging through layers of reclaimed fabrics, vintage textiles, and dismantled fibers, underscoring the exhibition’s central theme: transformation. By giving discarded objects new life, Scharf reflects on community, connection, and the ever-present invitation to awaken to the “Now.”
Scharf’s creative process embraces spontaneity and serendipity, guided by more than thirty years of mixed-media experimentation. Working from her Wilmington studio, in addition to painting and drawing, she explores a myriad of techniques including collage, monotype, cyanotype, Collagraph, linoleum block printing and paint pouring. Materials drive the meaning of the work: upcycled restaurant trays become unconventional canvases; broken and discarded jewelry offers delightful embellishment; thrifted clothing and vintage fabrics provide history and soul; deconstructed burlap, fibers, and textiles add raw texture, honesty, and a sense of continual renewal. Nothing is fixed or precious—every object carries potential for markmaking, storytelling, and rebirth.
The exhibition reflects Scharf’s ongoing fascination with symbolism and enlightenment. Themes of ego vs. awareness, strength vs. fragility, and order vs. chaos move through each piece like an undercurrent. As she works, Scharf listens to music, teachings, tribal chants, and kirtans—infusing the materials with rhythm, intention, and consciousness.
Visually and spiritually, “Upcycled and Deconstructed” illuminates the idea that beauty, strength, and meaning can rise from the overlooked or discarded. Through the merging of reclaimed materials and symbolic imagery, the body of work becomes both primal and contemporary—rooted in memory yet continually transformed by curiosity, presence, and possibility.