Japanese paper artist Kyoko Hazama creates cute miniature sculptures out of washi paper which is used in many traditional arts of Japan. This traditional Japanese paper (washi) made from the fibers of the bark of a Japanese tree (gampi), shrub (mitsumata), and various plants and grasses (hemp, rice, wheat, bamboo), a sturdier paper than those crafted from wood pulp. Kyoko’s miniature paper people and animals reflect also her extraordinary technical abilities as a paper artist, doll-maker, and sculptor. Every sculpture begins with an idea drawn in a sketch. Using different
colors of paper, layer by layer Kyoko Hazama constructs her cartoon-like
figurines. Kyoko manipulates her materials to create the look and feel of real animal fur, antlers and horns, and the velvetines of young human skin
miniature sculpture from washi paper
