Ellen Sigunik is the founder and artisan at Sigunik Studio. She began her journey with parchment while living in East Africa, developing a body of photo based work about the lives of street children in Nairobi. Her time there shed light on the importance of using every part of an animal and the ritual of a respectful slaughter. When she returned from Kenya, Ellen searched to continue her exploration of the material, leading her to parchmenter and owner of Pergamena, Jesse Meyer. She eventually went on to work for Pergamena, gaining a thorough understanding of parchments' complex behaviors, before establishing her own practice using parchment in finished applications.

Over the past 15 years, Sigunik Studio has worked with architecture and interior design firms to create heirloom quality pieces of furniture, decorative objects, lighting and interior wall panels for their luxury client base. She works to educate her clients on the unique qualities of parchment and welcomes the opportunity to inspire a closer look at the preserved stories every surface can reveal about its’ history. 

The Fifth Quarterly