Donna Ruff Transforms Newspapers Into Intricate Works of Art

Transforming Paper Into Stories

Donna Ruff discusses her artistic journey, her use of newspapers as a medium, and how her work addresses themes of loss, cultural identity, and social justice through intricate, transformative techniques.

Donna Ruff is an artist whose work transcends the boundaries of traditional mediums, transforming the ephemeral into the eternal. Her intricate, labor-intensive process of cutting, burning, and altering paper and printed media elevates discarded materials into profound works of art. With a deep reverence for the materiality of paper and a sharp focus on the narratives it carries, Ruff’s creations are both visually stunning and conceptually rich. Her ability to weave themes of loss, resilience, and social justice into her art speaks to her extraordinary talent and her commitment to addressing the complexities of the human experience. It is no surprise that her work has found a home in prestigious collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Library of Congress, as it resonates with a universal audience while remaining deeply personal.

In this interview, Donna Ruff shares insights into her artistic journey, from her early influences growing up in Chicago to her current practice in Miami. She reflects on how her background in graphic design informs her exploration of communication and economy, and how her use of newspapers, particularly the New York Times, serves as both a canvas and a commentary on contemporary issues. Through her thoughtful responses, Ruff reveals the delicate balance between destruction and preservation in her work, the cultural significance of her geometric patterns, and the ways in which her art addresses themes of loss and social justice. This conversation offers a glimpse into the mind of an artist who transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, inviting us to see the world—and its stories—through a new lens.

“Donna Ruff’s art transforms discarded materials into profound,
visually stunning works that challenge narratives and advocate for social justice.” – Editor , WOWwART

Can you explain how your background in graphic design influences your current artistic practice and your exploration of communication and economy?

I worked as a graphic designer because I had an art degree, and was a single mother so I had to support myself. This was before graphic software was invented, so type and images had to be set by hand, and pieced together on a backing to be printed. I learned to puzzle this out, to create interest and balance on the page while making the content as readable as possible. When I started my personal art practice, I used the tools I knew, but I subverted them.

“I take something that is normally thrown away and transform it
into a beautiful, lacy object.” – Donna Ruff

What inspired you to start using the front pages of newspapers, particularly the New York Times, as the primary material for your artwork?

I’ve subscribed to the print edition of the Times for 40 years, regardless of where I was living. It’s the closest thing we have to a national newspaper, and the photojournalists who work for the Times are the best in their field. As a designer, I admired the way the page was put together, and how the photographs, particularly the main one above the newspaper fold, told a story so beautifully. I’ve always been interested in the news. I was starting to cut handmade paper into geometric patterns and one morning, looking at the pile of newspapers on my table, I got the idea of cutting them in that way.

“The print edition of newspapers is quickly dying out,
so my work is a way of archiving the news.” – Donna Ruff

How do you see the relationship between destruction and preservation in your work, especially in terms of the stories conveyed by the cut newspaper pieces?

Like many artists, I see my work as construction resulting from destruction- the cutaway parts come forward as positive space, and create a push/pull relationship with the remaining content on the page. I take something that is normally thrown away, and use an exacto knife to cut it up. This transforms and exalts the lowly newspaper into a beautiful, lacy object which will be enjoyed as an aesthetic piece.

In what ways do the geometric patterns inspired by Moorish architecture contribute to the themes of your art, particularly in relation to light, privacy, and cultural understanding?

I learned to make the patterns by using software that creates repeating rosettes and star shapes- forms that appear in sacred architecture in both Judaism and Islam. In areas like the Middle East, Africa and Spain, these shapes are used to create screens that block out the hot sun while allowing breezes to flow. In addition, they provide privacy to those inside. Since I cut these shapes into a vessel for content, I think of how we get disjointed information from the news, particularly in recent years, having to do with the Middle East, and the work becomes a metaphor for that. I first started that particular series in early 2011, when the news was all about the Arab Spring, a time of great optimism that has sadly and tragically ended.

The theme of loss appears prominently in your work. How do you translate this theme into your artistic process, and what message do you hope viewers take away regarding loss in various contexts?

I think this idea goes back to the point in my life when I went to grad school, just after my mother died of a brain tumor and lost the ability to speak. At first, I processed my grief through work that involved language, text, and mirroring, reflecting the scans I’d seen of her brain. It made me aware of the fragility of life, and since then I’ve lost other friends and family. I like to make work that reminds us of the passage of time. To that point, my interest in paper as a medium goes way back to my grandparents’ scrap paper company. In a way, paper reflects what I think about our bodies. It appears fragile but is often strong; it has versatility, it invites us to fold, cut, make marks on it. And of course, the print edition of newspapers is quickly dying out, so my work is a way of archiving the paper versions of the news.

Can you discuss any specific actions or projects you have undertaken that address social justice issues related to women, children, and immigrants? How do these experiences inform your art?

I’m answering these questions the day after our election, so this is a timely issue. When Trump was president, migrant families were being separated, children being put into warehouses. I was among one of the groups that protested a children’s holding facility here in South Florida, and I did a series of works about immigration. More recently I have worked to get an abortion rights amendment passed in Florida but we did not succeed, due to our Republican governor who used his power to undermine it. I’ve done some works referring to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. These issues are important to me as a mother, a grandmother, and someone who believes that we are responsible to each other. My art practice is a large part of my social justice work.

EDITOR’S HIGHLIGHTS