American paper engineer and artist Matt Shlian, has created a collection of sculptures where he uses paper to form artwork that almost look like they’re moving.
Matt shares, “As a paper engineer, my work is rooted in print media, book arts and commercial design. Beginning with an initial fold, a single action causes a transfer of energy to subsequent folds, which ultimately manifest here three-dimensional forms.”
Matt draws inspiration for his sculptures from Solar cell design, protein misfolding, Islamic tile patterning, systematic drawing, architecture, biomimetics, and music.
Using a variety of papers in different weights, a few tools like bone folders, blades, creasing tools, and Reverse Action Tweezers, among others, he starts without a clear goal in mind, working within a series of limitations.
Matt explains, “For example on one piece I’ll only use curved folds, or make my lines this length or that angle etc. Other times I begin with an idea for movement and try to achieve that shape or form somehow. Along the way something usually goes wrong and a mistake becomes more interesting than the original idea and I work with that instead.”
