In the bustling realms of art and creativity, Sarah Louise Matthews crafts a world of wonder with the sheer simplicity of paper. Based in Sheffield, UK, her exquisite sculptures of animals, plants, and objects come alive, telling silent tales through intricate folds and meticulously cut details. Each piece is a testament to her lifelong passion for craftsmanship, honed from childhood origami creations to professional masterpieces. Her journey from a textile surface design degree to a celebrated paper artist showcases an enchanting evolution, where each paper sculpture reflects an innovative spirit and a nod to the delicate dance between design and whimsy. Sarah’s talent in transforming a mundane medium into vivid expressions of art is like weaving dreams into tangible reality, gripping the imagination of all who behold her ethereal creations.
Sarah’s art extends beyond mere aesthetics, embedding her personality and passion into every creation. The meticulous precision in her work mirrors her self-proclaimed perfectionism, while the vibrancy and playful nature of her designs capture her love for exploration and joy in detail. Engaging with her creations often feels like stepping into an enchanting world, where familiar forms are reimagined with a surreal twist, courtesy of her ingenuity in paper engineering. Here, paper isn’t just a medium; it’s a vessel for storytelling, a platform for evocative concepts shaped by the artist’s hands and heart. Lizards bask, birds perch, and flowers bloom in Sarah’s paper universe, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary art as they whisper tales of creativity, patience, and boundless imagination.
I am a design-enthusiast, sucker for good packaging design and self-proclaimed perfectionist, who loves to explore, wear stripes and nest when not in the studio. ‘Paper Engineer’ would have been my dream job as a child, had I known of its existence. Well, it would have been a close second after professional Ballerina anyway. I have been a maker for as long as I can remember, from my earliest memories folding origami penguins and cutting paper doll chains, to graduating from my Textile Surface Design Degree in 2011 with a graduate collection of paper jewellery, to now spending my days buried under paper in my studio in Nottingham, cutting, folding, gluing and interlocking to create innovative and playful paper designs.
Sarah Louise Matthews