PAPER ART INSTALLATIONS AND CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS
I create immersive paper installations and collaborative projects that invite people to look more closely at the natural world.
Working with reclaimed paper, wire and thread, I create detailed life-sized sculptures of plants, insects and other natural forms. Brought together on a larger scale, these individual pieces can become something more than a collection of objects, creating environments that encourage curiosity, discovery and a sense of connection with the world around us.
From exhibitions and public spaces to festivals, commercial displays and creative collaborations, each project is developed in response to its setting, audience and story.
Opposite: Details of The Monarchs | Recycled Paper, Wire and Thread | 2025.
My installations begin with the same close observation that sits at the heart of my individual sculptures. I think about installations as ecosystems, bringing together plants, insects and other natural forms to create relationships and stories between species, materials, spaces and people. Rather than simply enlarging individual sculptures, I consider how the whole environment can shape the way a visitor experiences the work. Where will they notice the first detail? What might they discover as they move through the space? Changes in scale, placement and movement can alter our perception of familiar forms and encourage us to slow down and look more closely. I want to create moments of discovery, like an encounter with something small and easily overlooked, made newly visible in a different environment.
POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR COMMISSION:
Exhibitions and gallery installations
Collections of paper sculptures developed around a particular theme, species or idea, creating immersive displays that encourage visitors to explore the natural world from a different perspective.
Public and cultural projects
Site-responsive work that connects people with local landscapes, species and ecological stories. These projects can create opportunities for curiosity, education and closer observation within public and cultural spaces.
Festival and event installations
Temporary installations designed to transform a space and give audiences something unexpected to discover. Large collections of life-sized sculptures can create a sense of immersion while remaining full of intricate details to explore.
Brand and creative collaborations
Bespoke paper sculpture created in response to a creative brief, campaign or visual concept. I can work with creative teams to develop individual sculptures, collections, window displays or larger installations that bring a natural, tactile quality to a project.
CASE STUDY: Miss Joaquim Orchid | Kinetic Design Agency, 2025.
Created in collaboration with Kinetic Design Agency, the Miss Joaquim Orchid was a bespoke paper sculpture inspired by Singapore’s national flower and the story behind its name.
The project began with a creative brief to interpret the orchid through paper, transforming a familiar botanical subject into a highly detailed three-dimensional sculpture. Rather than simply reproducing the flower, I researched its distinctive structure, colours and history, using this knowledge to understand what makes the species recognisable and how its character could be captured in paper.
Working from this research, I developed the sculpture by hand, carefully constructing each part of the orchid and building up the delicate forms of the flowers and leaves. Reclaimed tissue paper became the starting point for a process of cutting, shaping and layering, allowing the finished piece to retain the subtle imperfections of the material.
The project demonstrates how a creative collaboration can take a familiar subject and reinterpret it through a different material and perspective. By combining botanical research with the possibilities of paper sculpture, the finished orchid became both a representation of a particular species and an expression of the story and ideas behind the brief.
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
The most interesting projects often develop through conversation. You may come to me with a fully developed brief, a particular species or story, or simply the beginnings of an idea that you would like to explore. I am particularly interested in projects where there is an opportunity to look beyond the obvious and find a new way of connecting people with the natural world.
I enjoy working alongside curators, exhibition designers, architects, creative directors, producers and other project teams to develop work that responds to the wider context of a project. I can contribute from the early stages of research and concept development through to making, delivery and installation.
Depending on the project, this might include:
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developing creative concepts and visual directions
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researching species, landscapes and natural histories
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translating a theme or story into a collection of sculptures
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considering scale, repetition, movement and placement within a space
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developing artwork layouts and installation ideas
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creating the sculptures and preparing them for display
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collaborating with wider creative and production teams
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supporting delivery, installation and final presentation
DEVELOPING AN INSTALLATION:
1.
The Brief
We begin by discussing the project, its purpose and the experience you would like to create. This might include the exhibition theme, location, audience, available space, key dates and any particular species, stories or ideas you would like the work to explore.
2.
Research, Concept and Development
I research the natural and cultural context of the project, looking at the species, landscape, history or ideas that could inform the work. I then explore how the individual sculptures could come together to create a larger experience. This might involve experimenting with scale, repetition and placement, as well as considering how visitors will encounter and move through the installation. Initial drawings, reference material and proposed layouts can be developed from this research and experimentation to communicate the direction of the project before production begins.
3.
Making
Once the concept has been agreed, I begin producing the individual sculptures by hand. Templates, mock-ups and material tests help me work through the practical challenges of creating a larger collection, while allowing the small details and individuality of each specimen to remain visible.
4.
Installation
The finished sculptures are prepared and brought together within their final setting. Depending on the project, this may involve working alongside an exhibition or production team, coordinating installation on site or adapting the arrangement in response to the space. The final stage is about more than placing the individual pieces. It is about bringing the whole ecosystem together and making sure the finished installation creates the experience we set out to achieve.
PLANNING A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT:
Installations and creative collaborations are individually scoped and quoted according to the nature of the project. Costs can include research and development, concept design, sculpture production, materials, framing or display structures, delivery and installation.
The scale of a project can vary considerably, from a small collection of sculptures created for an exhibition or creative campaign to a much larger installation involving dozens or hundreds of individual elements. The scope, complexity and intended audience of the project will all influence the final quotation.
Timescales also vary depending on the amount of research, design development and making thats involved. Larger installations can take several months to develop and produce, so it is helpful to get in touch as early as possible if you are working towards an exhibition opening, event or campaign launch.
When making an enquiry, it is useful to include the project location, proposed dates, available space, intended audience, creative brief and any information you already have about budget. Floor plans, photographs, exhibition plans or visual references can also be helpful.
If the project is still at an early stage, that is absolutely fine. An initial conversation can be a useful opportunity to explore what might be possible before a detailed brief has been developed.
SELECTED INSTALLATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS:
Explore a selection of projects created for exhibitions, public spaces, creative agencies, cultural organisations and commercial settings. From immersive insect installations to individual species created in response to a particular brief, each project begins with a different story, place or idea and develops through research, experimentation and making.
Have a Space, Story or Idea You'd Like to Explore?
Whether you are developing an exhibition, planning a public project, working on a creative campaign or simply have the beginnings of an idea, I would love to hear about it.
Tell me a little about the project, the space and what you would like the audience to experience. From there, we can explore how paper sculpture, natural history and close observation could come together to create something distinctive.
