London-based paper artist, Poppy Chancellor, reinvented the traditional craft of papercutting by adding a playful, contemporary twist to her creations. Originally studying illustration at Kingston University, she went on to study at the Royal Drawing School where her passion for paper art had sparked.
“I was in the final year of my Illustration degree and I got a bad final mark,” she recalled, speaking candidly with the Bailey Nelson blog. “I had one chance to redeem myself through an additional mark for the final exhibition, and I knew I had to take a totally different approach.” It was then that she decided to dabble in 3D art. “I made a city out of shoeboxes with black cut-out silhouettes of people in the windows,” she said. “You could turn the lights in the ‘rooms’ on and off.”
It was as though a light had switched on inside her head. It was then that she realized she wanted to explore the ancient art of papercutting. “I wanted to use a traditional craft, but with a contemporary subject matter,” she explained.” She was not the only one. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Vogue have all collaborated with her, and her Instagram page alone has amassed more than 20k fans.
Take a look at some of her playful designs in the gallery below:
