Main image: Su Blackwell
Alley McGlynn
One of the joys of discovering artists via Instagram is that it connects one’s appreciative eyes with inspiringly talented folk from all over the globe. One such is the wonderful New England-based Alley McGlynn. The enchanting and whimsical scenes she creates as sculptures made from paper are a dream and, through them, her influences are in full evidence. As she says, ‘I’m inspired by miniatures, dollhouses, vintage cinema, midcentury design, autumn, Walt Disney World, classic novels and antique shops – but the thread I keep following is nostalgia.’ We love them so much we want to climb inside every one. Instead we’ll settle for loading up our baskets in her shop, where you can also snap up her 2D work. Explore more.
Su Blackwell
Everything Su Blackwell makes beckons you inexorably in, her confluence of folk and fairy tales executed with warmth, magic and, in the way of traditional stories, often a trace of menace. Her sculptures, created ingeniously from the pages of books, are housed within many museum collections, including the V&A, The Brontë Parsonage Museum and National Museum Cardiff. As Su says, ‘Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions.’ We love it all – and happily you can buy cards, fine art prints and stationery via her website. Explore more.
Lucas Lopes
If Lucas Lopes’ many-layered paper figures don’t have you cooing with delight, then it’s doubtful whether we can be friends. Such tiny worlds and narratives distilled into single paper-created characters – each containing joyful surprises like boxes of delights – are the very stuff of our dreams. And you can learn how to make your own too, thanks to the Brazilian-born, Barcelona-based artist’s online courses. Yes please. Explore more.
Isobelle Ouzman
The Bratislava-based Isobelle Ouzman is a master of creating layered realms through her books, leading viewers deep into whole worlds complete with tangled branches and woodland creatures. Her Altered Books are painstakingly yet intuitively made works of exquisite art – and, thanks to the courses she runs, you too can learn the skills to make your own. Explore more.
Asya Kozina
A meeting point of high art and high fashion, Ukrainian Asya Kozina’s work is intricate, arresting and utterly transportive. Her headdresses and sculptural creations are like stories made tangible – pieces that feel as at home on a stage or in a gallery as they do in the world of couture. As she explains, ‘I work for the result and the culmination of the creative whirlwind is a photo shoot. It is a happening that cannot be repeated. The interaction of image, costume, model, photographer as a single organism living here and now is unique. It's like the birth of life and death in a few hours; lifeless paper comes to life on the model, and the living model becomes a sculpture, freezing.’ Explore more.
