Masayo Fukuda’s Subtle and Delicate Art of Paper-Cutting

An octopus cut from a single piece of white paper. This fascinating work was one of the greatest successes of 2018 for its creator, Masayo Fukuda. Having practised kirie, the Japanese art of paper-cutting, for 25 years, she has become an expert in the domain. After working for long hours, in minute detail and with great finesse, she shares her final, breath-taking creations on social media, to great success.

Kirie, which dates back to around the year 700, is an art practised in religious ceremonies in Japan. A lesser-known relative of origami, which involves folding paper, kirie nevertheless demands the same level of dexterity, and the challenge is equal in size. Only a scalpel can be used to cut a shape from one piece of paper, and use of tricks such as glue are strictly forbidden.

After spending hours cutting shapes from white paper, Masayo Fukuda places this thin sheet on a black background to reveal the final outcome. The level of detail, transparency and finesse in her nature-inspired works is remarkable, and the white paper comes alive and blooms to the point that it almost resembles lace.