ARTIST SPEAK

Paper is a versatile craft material. It requires hands-on skills to create one, two or three dimensional objects. Presenting four artists who mould paper as per their whims and fancies

Exploring paper as a versatile craft material

HIMANSHU AGRAWAL

Himanshu is a professional origami artist who has enjoyed folding many paper sculptures over the past three decades using origami techniques. Himanshu says, “Origami is all about having infinite patience, a mind for mathematical equations and strong visualisation powers.” The artist reveals that he was first bitten by the origami bug in 1989 when gifted with a book on paper planes. Since then it’s been a magical adventure of learning to fold two-dimensional sheets of paper into three-dimensional butterflies, frogs, lizards and other animals. While elaborate, large-scale origami models are Himanshu’s forte; his elegant horses, birds and other creatures too frame a vision of loveliness. His approach is very simple - tools: hands, medium: paper. It wasn’t easy getting here though, he confesses. “The biggest challenge for me was lack of instruction, interaction, books and material. Over the years, I built up my origami library one book at a time, and today I have more than 1,500 books. I have papers collected by me from all over the world, but I actually began with the humble notebook paper, bus tickets and the like.”

NAYAN SHRIMALI AND VAISHALI CHUDASAMA

Nayan and Vaishali have been making paper cut artworks since the last three years. Nayan mentions, “We took up a challenge of creating miniature birds and animals using paper and water colours every day on 1st January 2018 and haven’t stopped since then. We have made 700 plus artworks till now and are aiming to create 1,000 artworks by the end of 2020.” They use the technique of layered paper cutting to give a volume to the artworks and to give a three dimensional feel to them. All the artworks are entirely hand cut and hand painted and are made without using any kind of magnifying tools. Each layer is precisely hand cut on paper and hand-painted, after which they are assembled together to get the final look. Every single artwork takes from 4-8 hours to complete depending on the deatils of feathers and fur. Some of the tiniest paper artworks measures only 1.8 cm in height (from head to tail). After the final artwork the artists photograph them in natural background, so that they can give a glimpse of their habitat to the viewer.

NIBHA SIKANDER

Nibha Sikander aesthetically portrays a variety of insects and moths that are often overlooked in our own backyard. One has to observe Nibha’s delicately crafted and minutely worked paper relief sculptures of moths and birds with a magnifying glass to catch the intricate nuances. Nibha started paper-cutting before she joined an art school and developed her own techniques that depended largely on the thickness of papers. Along with yellow, olive, and rust paper stencils that hold clues for Nibha’s process-driven art, a glass case stands with tiny ceramic plates filled with miniature shapes. The artist explains that she uses the dishes to store miniscule pieces of moths, insects, and birds that could easily be lost while cutting. “I stick and cut simultaneously. This ensures I have all the pieces of the puzzles intact. I’m most fascinated by the colour combinations that exist on the creatures I’ve encountered. I never imagined those colours would ever work together,” says Sikander. While all the insects on the wall have visited the artist at some point of time, she’s given herself creative license to play around with the colours and patterns.

PARTH KOTHEKAR

Parth’s idea of paper craft germinated out of his graffiti practice. Says Parth, “I followed the idea and was fascinated by my own work. Initially, it was a hobby-once I had enough artworks on hand to exhibit them, I conducted an exhibition in Kanoria Center of Arts, Ahmedabad in 2013, displaying 84 paper cuts. It takes a steady hand to create papercuts, which I think I had attained during my practice of cutting out stencils. But to know and study the composition of what to make and which paper to use, and the technical know-hows like how to hold the paper or which blade to use, took me six months.” Parth uses 120 gsm paper, cutting mat, surgical knife and pencil as his tools. His artworks are based on everyday aspects of life. If it is challenging, it motivates him. Parth says, “The thing with papercuts is that one doesn’t know the final output until the end. I have an assumption of what it might look like and that is what I work with. It is the curiosity of finding out if I have got it that keeps me going.”

SABEENA KARNIK

Sabeena Karnik makes typographic illustrations with paper using a style mainly called quilling and paper sculpturing. A true master in her technique, the artist specialises in using only paper and glue making layers, strips and patterns to create intricate, colourful and playful 3D works that have been commissioned by the likes of Instagram, Google, Adobe, Disney publishing worldwide, Tanishq, Fossil, to name a few along with several magazine covers and editorial campaigns for print media. Her works are all handmade by playing with organic forms of the material and a vibrant colour palette to make pieces, which stand out for their complexity and delicacy. Sabeena says, “My sense of design and aesthetic is a reflection of my personality. Whatever I do, even if it’s the smallest thing like cutting a vegetable or a fruit, I want it to be perfect - it has to be done precisely, in a pattern. And you will see that attention to detail in my work as well.” Her artworks aim to evoke a sense of surprise and wonder in the eyes of the viewer. She is most often inspired by natural elements and textures, which regularly make an appearance in her work.