paper & flowers

A celebration of ephemeral inlays on paper

Four decades of global research into handmade paper are reflected in the work of Yvette Grutter. Since the mid-1980s, the artist has explored traditional techniques across various countries, developing a unique visual language where paper becomes a vehicle for memory, symbolism, and contemporary expression.

Grutter has dedicated her practice to preserving and reinventing the art of handmade paper, building a bridge between ancestral traditions and the present-day art world. Deeply influenced by Mexican culture, her work pays tribute to her country’s indigenous roots while inviting reflection on paper as a medium of communication, ritual, and aesthetic expression. She employs native techniques and natural materials—flowers, leaves, stems, fibers—which she delicately inlays into the paper’s surface. Her creations incorporate the symbolism of religious rituals tied to harvests, gods, the Day of the Dead, and other meaningful traditions.

The pieces in Paper & Flowers evoke stages of childhood, preserve joyful memories, and offer comfort in sorrowful times. They are visual poems that celebrate nature and give permanence to what is fleeting.

Poem
Stages of childhood
Memories ever present
Flowers, leaves, and stems
Fine and delicate lines
Inlays on paper
Records of joyful days
And comfort in those of tears.

Yvette Grutter is a Mexican, Swiss, and American mixed media artist based in Houston, Texas. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she specialized in printmaking and minored in sculpture, Grutter brings over four decades of global paper-making research to her creative practice. Her work blends traditional painting techniques with printmaking, incorporating natural materials such as sand, pressed flowers, and hand-made paper. These elements result in quietly powerful pieces that honor the subtle beauty of nature.

Deeply influenced by international artist residencies and workshops—including a prestigious UNESCO-sponsored residency in Valencia, Spain—Grutter's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions across the United States and abroad. Highlights include the group exhibition Washi y Amate – Japón y México at the Japanese Embassy in Mexico City and her solo show Réminiscences at Galerie d’Arfi in Denges, Switzerland.

Yvette Grutter is newly represented by Serrano Gallery in Houston. In May 2025, she will present a solo exhibition at the Consulate General of Mexico in Houston, with an opening reception on May 1st. She currently works and teaches at her studio in The Silos at Sawyer Yards.