Pinar's Blog Posts Tagged 'paper' (23)

UK-based artist Matthew Picton uses strips of paper to construct maps of cities from around the world. The Londoner's sculptural creations use both historic and fictional texts to produce cartographic representations of multicultural cities like Las Vegas, Dresden, Tehran, and Venice. The materials used are reflective of each respective culture, from literary and religious texts…

It's always a treat when artists like Matt Shlian are able to incorporate their passion for science and math into their art. His interest in abstract geometric forms clearly influences his work though the paper engineer insists that he finds inspiration for his paper art from everything in life. He says, "I have a unique way of misunderstanding the world that helps me see things easily…

Japanese artist Sachiko Abe cuts fine strips of paper for hours on end in her performance series titled Cut Papers. Having first discovered the calming effects of shredding paper over 15 years ago while admitted at an insane asylum, the artist now explores the act's meditative properties as an…

One of the easiest materials to get your hands on is paper, yet, ironically, it is also one of the most difficult to work with. Paper is fragile and the slightest bend can leave a sheet with an unwanted crinkle in it. That's why it takes true masters of their craft to produce stunning work. While many attempt to manipulate the material, few succeed in captivating audiences with not only…

Graphic design student and budding artist Thomas Wightman crafted a beautifully intricate book sculpture for his major project at Edinburgh Napier University. The assignment, referred to as The Medium is the Message, required students to focus on a theme—in Wightman's case, it's "addiction"—and hone in on…

Can you believe that this meticulously detailed model of Saint Basil’s Cathedral is made entirely out of paper? Russian school teacher Sergei Tarasov diligently set his efforts into cloning the architectural design staple of Moscow, using more than 10,000 sheets of A4 paper. For nearly a year, when the 42-year-old art teacher was not in the classroom, he spent most of his time…

Using nothing more than a pencil, a piece of paper, and some swift and scrupulous cuts, Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito offers a contemporary depiction of martyrdom. Each image presents a different form of death, some rather torturous, that has been documented in historical martyrologies. The artist provides a conceptual visual of said manners of martyrdom through a unique practice of pencil…

Paper is a cheap and accessible medium that can produce beautiful results. However, it requires meticulous skill to expertly maneuver and manipulate the fragile material. Luckily, artist Jen Stark possesses the ability to utilize the medium, reveal new ways of viewing its construction, and expose its beauty. We've shared several of Stark's…

Japanese artist Yuko Nishimura reworks single sheets of handmade paper into abstract, contoured works of art in her series labeled as Relief. She employs the paper folding techniques used in origami to transform the special Japanese paper known as kyokushi into mesmerizing geometric patterns. She combines traditional methods with contemporary aesthetics across a monochromatic…

Malaysia-born, Tennessee-based artist Daniel Lai, aka Kenjio, uses a visually captivating paper folding technique for his inspired book sculptures. Each book blossoms outward in waves of paper folded unto themselves, accompanied by a clay figurine of a man deep in thought. The sculptor's series of Thinker sculptures, echoing Rodin's The Thinker, exhibit…

It's always impressive when an artist can take one form of established art and transform it just enough to create something new and exciting. Artist Vik Muniz, who we've seen turn junkyard scraps into classic masterpieces, is one such artistic magician. In his latest series titled…

We've seen our fair share of paper bird…

When I first came across a couple of images of these works, I thought they were real city captures using a tilt-shift filter. Little did I know that these are, in fact, fairly normal photographs of paper cities, meticulously crafted by New York-based artist Yumiko Matsui. The skillful artist, who hails from Osaka, Japan, uses her native land as inspiration for her miniature world,…

With a growing internet community and a slew of social media outlets, anonymity is diluted and nearly impossible to achieve. It's difficult for anyone to remain a mystery, especially if they put themselves out there. Somehow, however, a modern day mystery exists in Edinburgh involving a series of unclaimed book sculptures with cryptic messages. Who is the artist…

Have you ever seen a flower bed made entirely of paper? Well, look no further! Folding for Peace is a white paper garden in Nagasaki, Japan realized by Swiss designer Anouk Vogel. The patch of faux flowers are aligned in a circular bed, angelically standing tall and vibrant against a naturally viridescent backdrop. The piece was commissioned by the…

Paper is a tricky material to work with because of its fragility but Danish artist Peter Callesen seems to have mastered manipulating the medium. He manages to utilize the sheets of white paper he works with to not only present meticulously cut silhouettes that showcase the effectiveness of negative…

Berlin-based artist Bartek Elsner works with paper and cardboard to produce impeccable replicas of objects ranging from a simple boxed video cassette to a multi-textured chainsaw. While the medium in this series titled The Paper Stuff is reminiscent of Chris Gilmour's cardboard…

Japanese artist Sachiko Abe sits atop a building in a white gown, cutting countless sheets of A4 paper into thin, wispy strips. The performance piece known as Cut Paper is both calming and mystifying. Abe sits for hours on end meticulously shredding paper whose cut feathery strands measure a mere 0.5mm in width. She first began this practice while in a mental institution over 15 years ago…

London-based photographer Dan Tobin Smith, in collaboration with set designer and art director Rachel Thomas, captures the silhouetted profile of a woman in multicolored layers. The creatively dreamy works in this series titled Paper Profiles appear both illustrative and sculptural. While some may speculate that the image is digitally rendered, it is in…

While in the States it is understood that we sometimes refer to money simply as green, international currency can be found in plenty of other colors. Canadian visual artist Kristi Malakoff's series titled Money Pieces utilizes the spectrum of hues that is present in paper money from around the world to produce her eye-catching sculptures. By folding, cutting, and…