Ayumi Shibata: Spiritual Meaning in Her Paper Art

 For those followers of my art blog, you know how fascinated I am of what artists can do with the most widely used material such as paper. Such an artist is Ayumi Shibata from Yokohama, Japan.

 

Shibata takes paper cutouts to another level. She creates dimensional paper art from pieces so small they can be held in the hand to pieces so large that they can include an adult person!

 

Her largest pieces can require over 100 pieces of paper. Her smallest pieces were made to fit inside of a glass vessels in a series she titled, "The Jar." Using lighting, the depth of the paper layers enhances the piece.

 

For Shibata, her works are an expression of "kami." In the Japanese language means "god," "spirit" and also "paper." With these spiritual inspirations in mind, she outlines the paper with a pencil before she begins to cut out the design freehand. As she stated:

"White paper expresses the yang, light and the process of cutting expresses the yin or shadow. I cut out works while imbuing my wish that we can coexist without forgetting our gratitude and awe for all things and nature that support our lives."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nayan and Vaishali: A Perfect Collaboration

Nayan and Vaishali (aka Venus Bird) are East Indian artist and collaborators. Each brings their special skills and training to the art of making miniature paper sculptures. (When referring to "miniatures," their finished sculptures are often less than 1 inch or1.8 cm! No magnifying glasses used.)

 

 

Their inspiration starts by observing creatures in their natural environment. Then, it's back to their studio to sketch what they've observed. 

 

 

Nayan, with his training as a designer, is well prepared for the exactness of making models. A sketch is first made. This is transferred into layers on watercolor paper which Nayan carefully cuts out to create a 3-dimensional creature. Then, it is Vaishali's contribution as a 3-D animator, to paint the layers in keeping with the depth desired. 

 

 

In all, a single tiny sculpture can take as many as 6 hours to complete. One ambitious project was also quite a challenge. It was titled, "365 Day of Miniatures," and included the completion of a bird each day. As if that wasn't enough of a challenge, from 2018 to 2020, they completed the "1000 Feathers Project." Their stated goal was to "... bring awareness about the significance and magnificence of wildlife through art."

 

While they are known mainly for the birds they've created, here are birds and some of the other animals that seem equally unique and demonstrate their versatility.

Parth Kothekar: Papercutter of Unlimited Subjects

Born and raised in Gujarat, India, Parth Kothekar found his talent for sketching did not suit the teachings in art school where 3-D was stressed, while his interest was in 2-D art.With time and experimentation, his sketches led to papercutting.

 

 

 

Using only a surgical knife and a single sheet of paper, he found his medium by 2010. Three years later, he would have his first exhibition of 100 pieces! What an impressive amount of production in only 3 years. 

It was at his exhibition at Kanoria Centre for Arts in Ahmedabad that would provide the recognition he needed to encourage his efforts as an artist and to consider when he was doing as more than a hobby.

 

Kothekar's first attempts at the business of art did bring up some of the pitfalls leading to financial troubles. However, his determination to continue his passion for papercut, meant he worked to make even finer and more intricate works.This dedication to do more and better led to his success.

He also found challenges in working in different sizes. His papercuts range from so small that they fit in a hand to very large. It's not only his size variations, but also his subjects. 

 

 

Kothekar finds challenges in the intricacies of an Escher, East Indian motifs, 3-d works, portraits and, yes, even Harry Potter. (In writing this blog, it was difficult among so many choices to highlight examples of the broad scope of his works.) You can also view his processes in a few videos.

 

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Masayo Fukuda: The Evolution of Kirie Paper Cutting

 As many of the fans to this art blog already know, I'm deeply impressed by paper artists. Using the most common of materials, they create stunning works of art. Today's artist takes paper cutting to a very high level.

 

 Masayo "Kiriken" Fukuda was born in Japan, studied art in college and went to work as watch repairer. Along the way, she learned how to manipulate tiny tools such as screwdrivers and tweezers, That experience plus the gift of excellent hand dexterity, would lead to the extraordinary mastery of "kirie."

 

Kirie is Japanese for "cut-picture." Fukuda started as a teenager cutting out greeting cards for her friends and family. She found that the cards were too thick to make for easy cutting. She experimented and refined her techniques. 

 

Today, she sketches on a single sheet of very thin paper, As if that fact isn't enough, she's also taken the art of kirie to an even higher level.

 

 

Most kirie is flat two-dimensional. Fukuda creates the appearance of the final piece as having depth. This method requires her to sketch on the back of the paper, just as a printer, on the reverse. Furthermore, to continue the look of depth, she varies the thickness of the cut lines. This is all remarkable and very unusual. 

 

Her lyrical, lacy art has been shown in throughout Japan and at the Louvre in Paris. She also has made YouTube videos of her techniques and a book.