ARTIST STATEMENT

Thousands of meticulous cuts release architectures from discarded books. Using only the pages and covers themselves—no paint, no collage—I carve pages to reveal intricate, dimensional forms. This process is wholly subtractive: nothing added, only uncovered.

It mirrors my own story as an overlooked, underprivileged child whose gifts were minimized and whose agency was hard-won. I learned to question tidy narratives, release resentment, and rebuild reality from what I found within.

Now, patience and precision guide both my blade and my mind. Each piece asks: What hidden value remains in what others ignore? How might we be mistaken—not just about books, but about ourselves and one another?

My work is for those who felt unseen or underestimated. You are not alone.

Even from cast-off material, something extraordinary can emerge. This is proof.

ARTIST BIO

Ted Wray is a multidisciplinary artist based in St. Petersburg, Florida, widely admired for his sculptural Book Excavations.  Carving books by hand, he transforms them into uncommonly original dimensional art.

Drawing on earlier careers in printing and music, Wray developed a self-taught visual art practice in 2014. He has since created hundreds of sculptures, with more than 100 placed in dozens of private collections across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. His work has been exhibited nationally, including at Annmarie Sculpture Garden, a Smithsonian Affiliate, and in two 2023 New York group shows: Connections VII at Atlantic Gallery and Liquidity at Ki Smith Gallery, curated by Natasha Roberts.

Wray is represented internationally by Abbey International Enterprises and by Brenda McMahon Gallery in Gulfport, Florida. He frequently gives talks on his artistic process and evolution. His work disrupts tidy narratives, offering a foothold in the productive discomfort of uncertainty.