With a following of over 30,000 on Instagram and fine art commissions and installations for clients such as big as Allbirds, Estée Lauder, and Marriott International, husband-and-wife creative team JUDiTH+ROLFE understand the ins and outs of paper manipulation.
Using traditional quilling techniques (but with an added twist), they’re known for their paper flowers which translate their natural surroundings into paper form. But incredibly enough, the two have zero training when it comes to paper art, with their backgrounds in architecture and interior design.
“I’ve only been creating paper art since 2016,” relayed Judith in an interview with Pendulum Magazine, “and still don’t feel entirely comfortable referring to myself as an ‘artist’. Rolfe doesn’t paper-craft, he’s my behind-the-scenes guy, helping out with backstage stuff.”
Aside from their floral pieces, other themes in their work include architecture, geometry, and typography. “My preferred process is to make unmounted pieces, meaning the paper strips are glued to each other but not glued down to a substrate,” she explains, sharing the creative process.
According to Judith, the most challenging part of the process is gluing the freestanding paper elements down to the background material, especially for the geometric work where everything needs to be precise and aligned. “My favourite part of working with paper is when I get into the flow state and am fully immersed in the work,” she notes, adding that the repetitive nature of cutting, shaping, and gluing paper becomes meditative and enjoyable.
Scroll down to see some of their collaborative work.
