FOLDED FIGURES - Paper Sculpture
SEASON 6 | PROJECT 2/40 | 10.28.24
MODULE: Sculpture | GRADE LEVELS: 1 - 6 | DURATION: 1 Hour
ARTIST VIDEO
Video Editing by Jorge Davies, Graphics by Melissa Sabol
PROJECT VIDEO
OVERVIEW
In this project, students will explore the exciting process of transforming the simplest, most accessible material—paper—into imaginative 3D sculptures. They’ll begin with flat, 2D drawings and bring them to life using classic techniques of cutting, folding, bending, and gluing. As they experiment with paper, they’ll discover how to add unique details and textures, combining basic shapes to create surprisingly complex figures. Embracing mistakes and imperfections, students will enjoy creative freedom while learning a timeless art form practiced across cultures for centuries.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
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Students learn about spatial relationships and depth by visualizing and translating a 2D drawing into a 3D sculpture.
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Students practice fine motor skills by cutting, folding, bending, and shaping paper to create specific details and forms.
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Students learn that simple shapes can be put together to create a bigger whole.
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Students make the connection between design and a final product by seeing how ideas transform from an idea into a real object.
MATERIALS
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Paper
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Wooden dowel
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Ruler
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Pencil
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Scissors
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Tape
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Stick glue
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marker
FEATURED ARTIST
MATIX TUTUNJIAN
Matix Tutunjian is an 11-year-old artist from Irvine, CA, who has been creating inventive paper sculptures since he was just 7. Inspired by the wildlife he loves—birds, spiders, scorpions, and lizards—as well as his favorite video game characters, Matix brings these critters and creatures to life through paper. He quickly sketches, cuts, and tapes his creations, transforming everyday materials into expressive, detailed figures. Always eager to share, Matix brings his artwork to school daily, encouraging his friends to dive into their own artistic adventures.
ARTISTS TO KNOW
Peter Callesen
Peter Callesen is a Danish artist celebrated for his delicate, detailed paper sculptures, each crafted from a single sheet of white paper. Through careful cutting and folding, he creates intricate 3D figures and scenes that often explore themes of life, death, and human existence. Reflecting the fragile and ephemeral qualities of paper, his work uses blank space to emphasize the contrast between his cut-out figures and the surrounding emptiness, capturing the transformation from 2D to 3D.
Peter Callesen. Human ruin, 2008, Acid free 120 gsm paper and glue, 256 x 144 x 25 cm
Li Hongbo
Li Hongbo is a Chinese artist known for his innovative accordion-style paper sculptures. At first glance, his works resemble realistic, solid forms, much like marble busts. However, when stretched or pulled, they transform, revealing the flexibility and intricate layers of the paper. Hongbo’s art plays with perception, inviting viewers to question what is real and challenging assumptions about the solidity of the physical world. Inspired by traditional Chinese paper toys and decorations, he uses similar techniques to create his expandable sculptures.
Li Hongbo. Bust of David, 2012, paper, 70 x 50 x 50 cm
Chie Hitotsuyama
Chie Hitotsuyama is a Japanese artist celebrated for her intricate, lifelike sculptures crafted entirely from rolled and twisted newspaper strips. She primarily creates animal figures, capturing their unique textures and forms with remarkable accuracy. Each sculpture is meticulously handmade, with each strip of newspaper shaped to mimic fur, scales, or other fine details. Through her choice of materials and subjects, Hitotsuyama reflects her concerns about environmental issues and humanity’s impact on the natural world.
Chie Hitotsuyama. Komodo Dragon, 2015, Sculpture, Newsprint and Glue, 15 x 59 x 12 in. (38.1 x 149.9 x 30.5 cm.)
VOCABULARY
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2D / 2-dimensional: a flat shape or figure that has length and height but no width, like a piece of paper.
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3D / 3-dimensional: a shape or figure that has length, height, and width. It can be looked at from multiple sides, like a ball or a cube.
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Bend: to change the shape of something by curving or folding it.
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Composition: the way parts and pieces are arranged to make something look balanced, interesting, and complete.
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Detailing: adding fine elements to enhance the sculpture’s texture, form, or appearance.
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Figure: a shape or form that looks like a person or an animal, or some combination of both.
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Fold: to crease or bend paper over itself to create edges or defined shapes.
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Form: the shape and structure of something that has three dimensions, like height, width, and depth, which makes it look solid and gives it volume.
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Gluing: attaching paper pieces together with adhesive to build a structure.
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Imagination: creative thinking used to transform simple materials into unique forms.
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Scale: the size relationship between parts of the sculpture or between the sculpture and its surroundings.
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Sculpture: a 3D piece of art that can be looked at from all sides.
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Shape: a flat area, such as a circle or a square, that has clear boundaries. An image of a person or an object can be a combination of different shapes.
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Texture: the feel or appearance of a surface, such as smoothness or roughness.
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Transform: to change something into a different form, often 2D to 3D.