What Remains | Emily Krill

About the Exhibit

What Remains presents new large-scale collages by Emily Krill made from 19th- and 20th-century paper. Figures, objects, landscapes, and abstract forms emerge through layers of color and pattern, holding traces of memory, labor, and everyday life. The work invites viewers to slow down and consider what endures.

About the Artist

Emily Krill is a Pittsburgh-based artist known for large-scale collages constructed from 19th- and 20th- century paper. Working with ledgers, letters, manuals, blueprints, and discarded documents, she builds layered compositions that bring together figures, objects, landscapes, and abstract forms. Her work explores memory not as nostalgia, but as material, something handled, altered, and carried forward. 

Kill’s process begins with collecting historical paper that bears handwriting, stains, stamps, and marks of use. These materials are ink-washed, cut, layered, and reassembled into carefully structured compositions. Fragments of text and pattern remain visible, allowing each work to carry traces of its previous life while forming a new visual language.

Across her practice, Krill is interested in what endures. Figures often appear seated or still, suggesting moments or pause, while familiar objects and interiors feel uncannily out of time. Drawing from mid-century modern design and domestic ephemera, her work balances clarity and restraint with warmth and material presence. 

Her work has been exhibited nationally and is held in private and corporate collections, including the Pittsburgh Foundation. Through collage, Krill considers how the past persists in material form, revealing the quiet presence of history within everyday surfaces.

Artist Statement

My work begins with a love of paper ephemera and the stories it carries. I use antique materials to build large collages that feel fresh, colorful, and full of life. These fragments once served mundane everyday purposes. Now they become part of a new image and a new story.

 

I am interested in how history lingers in ordinary things. A single piece of paper once held real value. A railroad share could feed a family. A handwritten lesson once marked a child’s progress. When these scraps find their way into my work, they bring their past with them. I like the idea that something forgotten can become meaningful again. 

Follow Emily here!

The Portal

If you have ever walked the passage in Bakery Office One connecting Bakery Square Boulevard to East Liberty Boulevard, you have experienced The Portal Art Gallery.

Created to offer more accessible, public-facing opportunities for local artists, The Portal features rotating exhibitions throughout the year that highlight a diverse range of creative voices and mediums. Artwork is available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Larimer Consensus Group. Now celebrating its seventh official exhibition, The Portal continues to grow as both a visual arts destination and a meaningful point of connection within the community. It is a space that invites you to pause, admire, and reflect in the middle of your day. 

The thoughtfully curated feel of The Portal is made possible through its partnership with ZYNKA Gallery, one of Pittsburgh’s leading contemporary art spaces. Founded in 2019 by Jeffrey Jarzynka, ZYNKA has produced more than 40 exhibitions and is known for championing both emerging and established artists. By extending its curatorial expertise into this highly visible, public setting, ZYNKA helps bring bold, high-quality contemporary art to the heart of Bakery Square.