Suzanna Vizcarra created this book art, “Nature Is Our Best Friend” with fresh leaves from different plants in her garden. (RECORD PHOTO/GREGG PARKER)

A calligraphy class at Madison Public Library inspired Suzanna Vizcarra to create this ‘book art.’ (RECORD PHOTO/GREGG PARKER)

MADISON – Susana Vizcarra is displaying some of her work, known as “book art,” at Madison Public Library.

Vizcarra is an Uruguayan-American writer and professor of literature and languages.

As a visual artist, Vizcarra works and experiments with different types of materials. “I’ve been always curious and have the desire for expressing my thoughts using concrete materials, along with words,” she said.

At the library, Vizcarra is exhibiting her “handmade books.” In 2013, she participated in the “Ritual” art show in Philadelphia, Pa. and made three small books representing a poem, “Mayan Dreams,” about Mayan art and culture.

“I made the books resembling the codices,” Vizcarra said. “The Mayan registered everything in their codices from history to science, philosophy, literature and religion.” Tragically, thousands of codices were burned during the Spanish conquest.

She constructed her two handmade books at the library with recycled materials, papier-mâché, ink, watercolors, prints and calligraphy. To complete her small books, Vizcarra worked for three weeks. “I made the book structure first and then worked the images separately,” she said. “Usually, the thinking of a project takes longer.”

Each book represents two different journals.

Calligraphy classes at the library inspired “My Little Calligraphy Book.” “The little book called ‘Nature Is Our Best Friend’ depicts fresh leaves from different plants from my garden. Sometimes, we don’t have time to observe the beauty in nature that surrounds us,” she said.

In addition in Madison, Vizcarra is showing the first two pieces that she created: engraved gourds. This work won awards for sculpture at the Lubbock Art Alliance Gallery.

Currently, her “Accordion Book” on display at the Kalamazoo Book Arts depicts images in watercolor and ink. She also is working on a project, “Envelope as a Canvas,” for an October art show in Cambridge, Mass.

For more information, email to susana.vizcarra@knology.net or visit heavybubble.com/participants/profiles/susana-vizcarra.