Aliza Thomas is an artist and papermaker based in the Netherlands, originally from Israel. Her work is deeply tied to the traditions of Asian papermaking and shamanic art, blending craft with a meditative approach to creation. More than just an artist, Aliza is also a dedicated teacher of Qigong and Taiji Quan, ancient disciplines that center on balance, energy flow, and mindfulness. These philosophies inform her artistic process, making each piece an extension of movement, breath, and intention.
Her handmade paper works are both physical and spiritual explorations, embodying themes of duality, harmony, and transformation. Whether working with natural fibers or layering textures, she approaches her art with a deep respect for materials and process. Her recent pieces, “Combining Left and Right” and “Carrying a Heavy Load,” reflect this philosophy, illustrating the push and pull between forces—light and dark, structure and freedom, physical and spiritual.
The Essence of Aliza’s Art
Aliza Thomas does not just make paper—she transforms it into a conversation between material and meaning. Each fiber, each layer, carries an intention, much like a brushstroke in calligraphy or a movement in Taiji. Her work is not about capturing a fixed moment; it is about revealing a process.
Her piece Inspiration embodies this philosophy. It is not a static artwork but a meditation in itself. The words are simple, yet they open a space for interpretation:
- A key to growth.
- A shift in perspective.
- Which dimension are we able to see?
These phrases read like a mantra, guiding the viewer through a contemplative journey. The work invites introspection—what does growth look like? How do we perceive change? What layers exist beyond the obvious?
Much like Qigong, where movement is continuous and fluid, her art reflects an ongoing exploration rather than a final product. She interweaves thoughts with textures, creating compositions that challenge perception and invite the viewer to engage beyond the surface.
Aliza’s fascination with contrasts is evident in her process. She balances softness with structure, delicacy with resilience. Paper—often seen as fragile—becomes a medium for strength and depth. This tension, between vulnerability and durability, is a recurring theme in her work.
Her pieces do not just exist as visual objects. They ask to be felt, experienced. Resonating when it’s touched. Paper, after all, carries memory. It absorbs energy, records marks. It can be shaped, yet it retains its essence. This idea mirrors the philosophy of martial arts—movement imprints itself on the body, just as creation imprints itself on the medium.
A Conversation Between Art and Life
For Aliza, art is a practice of being present. There is no separation between life, art, and philosophy. Her Qigong practice, her understanding of energy flow, and her approach to papermaking all merge into one continuous rhythm.
Threads of Life is another phrase from Inspiration that encapsulates this idea. Her work weaves together experiences, moments, and emotions. Nothing is isolated; everything is connected. This belief is evident in how she treats her materials—she does not force them but rather works with them, allowing their nature to emerge.
The concept of duality is central to her artistic language. Interwoven with colors and lines suggests a dance between form and space, light and shadow, motion and stillness. In her hands, even a single line can hold an entire narrative.
Her work challenges the viewer to envision a picture with a single line. What is essential? What can be stripped away? In a world overwhelmed with noise, Aliza’s art speaks in quiet gestures, inviting simplicity, clarity, and depth.
