Meet Architectures-Turned-Paper Artists, JUDiTH+ROLFE

Creative duo JUDiTH+ROLFE joined forces to create their unique paper art brand that revolves around modern, simple and clean design. With a background in architecture, their work is very structured, employing techniques such as quilling, folding, cutting, and layering.

Centering around themes like geometry, nature, and typography, their inspiration includes elements from both the natural and the cultural world: anything from Japanese Kumiko screens, Islamic tile designs, and Art Deco to optical illusions, wallpaper patterns, and vintage botanical illustrations.

“The reason I was initially drawn to paper is because of its availability and ease of use,” explained Judith (who goes only by her first name) in an interview with Make MN. “It’s not an intimidating medium; everyone has experience with paper.”

She describes her discovery of paper art as a sort of revelation, when in 2016 she was searching for personalized name gifts and couldn’t find anything she liked. “I decided to make some customized gifts myself,” she says. “Using pre-cut paper strips, I started rolling paper coils, totally fell in love with the process, the repetitiveness of which I find both meditative and relaxing, and have been working with paper almost every day since.”

While Judith is the artist and maker of the operation, Rolfe is the behind-the-scenes and logistics guy. The result is right before you.