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Art

Kirie Octopus Cut From a Single Piece of Paper by Masayo Fukuda

Kirie (切り絵, literally ‘cut picture’) is the Japanese art of paper-cutting. Variations of kirie can be found in cultures around the world but the Japanese version is said to be derived from religious ceremonies and can be traced back to around the AD 700s. In its most conventional form, negative space is cut from a single sheet of white paper and then contrasted against a black background to reveal a rendering. Veteran kirie artist Masayo Fukuda (previously) has been practicing the art form for 25 years and recently revealed what she says is her greatest masterpiece of 2018.

Although the intricate piece looks like several layers overlapped, Fukuda stayed true to the conventional form, using only a single sheet of paper to render her detailed depiction of an octopus. The level of detail at times even looks like a fine ballpoint pen drawing. But a closer look confirms indeed that each and every detail is carefully made from cut-out negative space in the white paper.

If you’re interested in Fukuda’s work, she’ll be showcasing her kirie in a joint exhibition planned for next year. She’ll be showing her work along with fellow kirie artist Jun at Miraie Gallery in Osaka from April 24 – April 30, 2019. (Syndicated from Spoon & Tamago)

Animation

A Needle-Felted Stop Motion Film Explores a Hedgehog’s Quest to Defend His Humble Home

Hedgehog’s Home is an animated film that explores how one brave hedgehog faces off against a bevy of forest beasts to defend the honor of his beloved home. The stop motion film was created by animator and director Eva Cvijanović as an adaptation of the eponymous children’s poem by Branko Ćopić, a writer from the former Yugoslavia. The timeless tale focuses on how cultivating a safe and comfortable home reflects a large part of who we are.

The needle-felted film has won several awards, including the Best Film Award at the KIKI International Film Festival for Kids (2017), Honorable Mention at the Ottawa International Animation Festival (2017), and Best Children’s Film at the GLAS Animation Festival (2018). You can see more of her animation work on Vimeo. (via Vimeo Staff Picks)

Craft Design

Geometric Animals Come to Life in DIY Lamp Kits by OWL

OWL, a Lisbon-based lamp brand founded by two architects in 2016, offers a wide range of friendly wild animals that can be turned into volumetric lamps using simple folding techniques. As you might guess, OWL offers a few different owl designs, as well as roaring hippos, curious rabbits, and proud penguins. Hugo Formiga and Teresa Almeida, the designers behind OWL, explain to Colossal that their “most recent designs have focused on large, endangered mammals. The selection tends to raise awareness about wildlife and simultaneously recreates the animals in a playful and abstract manner. The designs seem to trigger stories about themselves and are conceived as fun lighting objects with a hint of personality.”  You can find their range of DIY kits on Etsy. (via Colossal Submissions)

Art Illustration

Birds Sit Delicately on Vintage Sewing Machines and Typewriters in a New Illustrated Series by Steeven Salvat

French artist Steeven Salvat (previously) creates meticulously rendered drawings of animals inhabiting the same world as machinery, such as his previous crustacean series. His project Perchés showcases different breeds of birds using antique objects as areas for temporary rest, like the above owl which sits atop a typewriter. “I wanted to highlight the contrasts between lightness and brutality, fragility of nature and immortality of objects,” Salvat tells Colossal.

The artist works with watercolor on pastel paper, which he then draws millions of lines on top with .13mm Rotring pens and China ink. He collaborated with the Parisian studio Sergeant Paper to edit five drawings from the series in a signed and numbered limited edition of 100, which you can purchase via his online shop. You can view a time-lapse of one of his included drawings in the video below.

Art Illustration

Delicate Watercolor Landscapes Embodied by South African Wildlife

South Africa-based artist Sujay Sanan‘s series A Place I Know documents landscapes across the Western Cape, embedding the spaces inside animals that inhabit each. Sanan grew up in the Himalayas, and his new works are a way to explore his new surroundings, while also bringing attention to the increasing climate change and its effects on wildlife.

“My works document landscapes seen through the species that inhabit them,” he explains. “Some of the places I have painted are familiar and close to where I live, while in others I have found myself as a momentary visitor. While these works document what I fear might be lost, they are also filled with optimism.” You can see more of Sanan’s watercolor paintings on his website and Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions)

Animation

Children’s Blocks Take the Form of Simplified Animals in Animations by Lucas Zanotto

MINIMALS is a new short film by Helsinki-based animator and director Lucas Zanotto (previously) composed of fictionalized kinetic sculptures based on real animals. The series of short animations catch each simplified creature in a repetitive loop that imitates the extension of an elephant’s trunk, a crab’s sideways walk, or the incessant pecking of chickens. The animals appear to be formed from children’s blocks with colors that hint at their actual breed. Pink spheres with snouts are an easy give-away for pigs, while other configurations, like a flat mauve disk rolling across a slender beige cylinder, are a little bit harder to place. Zanotto’s second book, EVERIMAL, was published earlier this year. You can see more of his short animations on his Instagram and Vimeo.

Art

Popular Cartoons and Mascots Unwind to Reveal Realistic Depictions of Their Human and Animal Inspirations

Dutch artist Stefan Thelen, a.k.a. Super A (previously here and here) removes the fantasy from classic pop culture characters like Batman and Mickey Mouse to reveal more realistic interpretations of their cartoon constructs. An owl peers out between the gaps of its cartoon self in a painting of a scene from Sleeping Beauty, while a white cat with piercing orange eyes pokes its paw out of a spiraled depiction of Hello Kitty.

The new works, which are part of Thelen’s ongoing series titled Trapped, are currently on view at the Brand Library & Arts Center for his solo exhibition Domestication curated by Thinkspace Projects. You can see more of his mash-ups of pop culture figures and their human and animal inspirations on his website and Instagram. (via Arrested Motion)