We don’t know about you, but paper art is one of those fields that never ceases to amaze us. The way in which paper artists employ paper to create intricate pieces of art, which are carefully cut, piece by piece, is both mind-boggling and inspiring. Julianna Szabo is one such artist.
Born in Hungaria and currently living in London, Szabo creates both 2D and 3D art using paper. Her creations are often brought to life through stop motion animation and using visual metaphors that draw the viewer into her tactile worlds. And with more than 15k followers on Instagram and collaborations with brands like Gucci, Fossil, and the National Print Museum – it’s clear that people are very much drawn to her paper worlds.
Her art features characters (with pop culture references), buildings, animals, and typography – all mixed together in a cheerful blend. Talking about her sources of inspiration with Strictly Paper, Szabo admitted that she can pretty much get inspired by anything, “from my daily walks by the sea at Dun Laoghaire, and now along the Thames, watching a movie, reading a book, or just looking out the window watching the birds with my cat.” Having moved abroad also served as a great source of inspiration and has made Szabo more open to accept and appreciate different cultures, which she has incorporated into her work.
But though her art varies, her process is fairly straight forward, with each of her pieces beginning with a design and a piece of paper. “Once I have the design for a work, I have to choose the right paper for it,” she says. “I decide the weight, texture, color. I use different paper when I have to fold, tear or cut. I use acid-free paper to make sure my works last for a long time.”
Here are some highlights from her Instagram page:
