Kumi Yamashita

Japanese-born, New York-based artist who has worked in a variety of unusual media. Her shadow art pieces are among the best I have seen.

And I've never seen anything like these portraits made with nails and string, which she calls "constellations."

She also does rubbings -- this drawing was made by rubbing over a credit card -- and makes portraits by removing threads from old pieces of cloth. She even made at least one work by walking on a sheet in different sorts of drity shoes.

Another thread portrait, and a close-up showing the method.

More shadow pieces. The stuff is all very creative, but it has something of a gimmicky feel to me. I would love to see what she can do with pencil and paper.