Interview with artist Joe Boruchow (The Truth In This Art Beyond : Philadelphia)

Joe Boruchow is a Philadelphia based muralist and paper cutout artist whose site- specific work is designed to fit into architectural niches and public spaces. Born and raised in the Washington DC area, he moved to Philadelphia in 1997.
The self-taught artist started working in paper cutout in 2003 and has been consistently exploring ways to transcend the traditional medium, translating his designs into large scale murals, graphic novels, fine art prints and metal wall hangings. Inspired by his surroundings, current events and architecture, his black and white installations have become iconic in the Philadelphia region.
His work explores themes of race, sexuality, politics, history and art, all through the subtractive art of paper cutout. His designs are all created from a single piece of black paper where all the white sections are excised by hand with an exacto blade and all the black sections must connect to the whole. Often quite small, the original paper cutouts are scaled up to fit their intended space.
He was a finalist for Pew Fellowship and has worked on major murals with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. His graphic novel, “Stuffed Animals” was awarded a Xeric Grant for graphic fiction. As a visiting artist, he is often called upon to lecture and instruct at colleges such as The University of the Arts and institutions such as The Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His commissioned and uncommisioned work have gained a large regional following and has been covered by national and international press and blogs.
Exhibitions of his original paper cutouts continue to astonish followers of his work with their intricacy and craftsmanship. The intimate scale of the paper cutouts contrasted with his monumental murals, create a tension between the private and public aspects of the work. The blend of craft and concept combine to create powerful graphic images that transform the spaces that they inhabit.

Featured in This Episode

• Keith Haring
• Brittney Griner

The Truth In This Art

The Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond’s arts and culture.

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Welcome to the Truth In This Art Beyond: Philadelphia!

Philadelphia one of the foremost creative regions in the world and this series of interviews was sparked by my curiosity about the arts and culture of the city. 

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This interview was recorded in Philadelphia, PA between September 2022-January 2023.

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