Saya Woolfalk, Daydreams of Paper Animals, 2017, ceramic tile and smalti glass, PS/IS 49 Addition, Queens

Saya Woolfalk’s Daydreams of Paper Animals is a fantastical mural located on the exterior of the cafeteria and spanning over twenty-two feet. On her first visit to the school, Woolfalk came upon various displays of student artwork showing colorful and whimsical paper collages of flowers, people, houses and animals. These displays provided the inspiration and foundation for the mural. To create the artwork, Woolfalk began making her own collage by cutting and hand-painting a variety of different papers. Next, she scanned the papers and pieced them together on the computer to form otherworldly, surreal creatures and dream-like, fictional landscapes. The digital collage was then printed on ceramic tile. Lastly, pieces of smalti mosaic glass were inserted into the tiles in select areas creating jewel-like accents and unexpected textures. The result is a delightfully imaginative world intended to encourage a sense of play and discovery.