Kelsey-Mapel and Frehse have been friends since their art school days at Arizona State University. After graduate degrees, establishing careers as professional artists, and raising families, they decided in 2011 to collaborate on new work. With Frehse in Tacoma and Kelsey-Mapel in Phoenix, they communicate via the internet and have spent time in each other’s studios.

Longing is one of their collaborative works. It portrays Frehse in a fantasy portrait as a Chinese Tang dynasty court lady. Kelsey-Mapel sculpted the ceramic head, and Frehse carved and surfaced the robe. One of the motivations for Kelsey-Mapel and Frehse to continue their collaboration is sharing the challenge of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and being open to what might happen in a spontaneous moment of creative inspiration. For an archive of their collaborative work, visit ReconfiguredArt.com.