Karen Ryan

Ryan has spent her career scavenging through other people's trash to create what she calls "three-dimensional poetry." Each chair in her Custom Made collection is constructed from multiple retired patio chairs or children's seats or rockers. Even more unusual are her Second Hand plates and Unmade 07 vases. Ryan partially removes patterns from antique plates and vases, leaving only traces of the original designs in the form of words like "violent," "lies" or "envy" as homage to the pieces' former façades. A self-described "misfit" in the art world, Ryan remains steadfast in her desire to recycle. "I find it hard to watch the news and then consider the design of yet another superfluous object," she says.