ISOBELLE OUZMAN

A WINDOW INTO

debut solo exhibition

August 23rd - September 14th, 2025

Opening Reception: First Friday, September 5th • 5-9pm​

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“And this is what I learned: that the world’s otherness is an antidote to confusion, that standing within this otherness - the beauty and the mystery of the world, out in the fields or deep inside books - can re-dignify the worst stung heart.” Mary Oliver, Upstream

 

Arch Enemy Arts presents A WINDOW INTO, nine exquisitely carved and illustrated mixed media journals by master altered bookmaker Isobelle Ouzman. The first piece, titled “A Window Out, A Window In,” was created in Finland during an intensive month-long artist residency at Arteles, one of the largest international artist residencies in Scandinavia. During Isobelle’s time there, artists and writers explored themes centered on silence and meditation with two structured silent days per week. 

 

“The experience was one of introspection and acceptance. With it being the middle of winter in the north, where sunlight is limited and temperatures are low, I spent many hours inside watching the light and shadows change through windows, watching birds roam for food across snow covered forests, and reading books on poetry and psychology. Wrapped in stillness, this opportunity allowed me to reflect on growth, the passing of time, and what it means to exist.”

 

The spiritual discoveries Isobelle made at Arteles she manifested in every nook and cranny of this series. Windows and arches symbolize the transition between inner and outer worlds, while dark, twisting forests are like paths of searching through the boundless unknown. Portals and holloways have been a hallmark of Isobelle’s work since she began altering books in 2012; however, for this series, the artist stepped away from text-filled books and novels as her base material. Exchanging a symbol of outward discovery for the unlined pages of an empty journal, Isobelle makes clear her intention to chart her own path. To fill her own pages and “take up her own space.” It is beautiful work that beckons viewers to do the same, inviting us too to explore the inward nature of the soul. 

 

Isobelle Ouzman (b.1992) is based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Originally from the UK, she lived in Washington State for much of her young adult life and returned to Slovakia “with only a small suitcase of belongings and no plan at age 28.” Despite being prevalent in the art world today, altered books were rarely—if ever—exhibited when Isobelle started making them. Entirely self-taught, she quickly gained notoriety for the uniqueness of her practice with features by Hi-Fructose and My Modern Met back in 2015. Isobelle has since been creating editorial work and book cover art for countless publications, but A WINDOW INTO, the artist’s debut exhibition with Arch Enemy Arts, is only her second-ever solo in the United States. 

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A WINDOW INTO will be on view from August 23rd - September 14th, 2025
Sold works will begin to ship the week starting September 21st, unless other rush shipping arrangements have been made. 

Items marked with a red dot have already been sold.

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