Enter an exhibition of paper art like no other. The artist shows paper as a medium of unlimited expression in bas-relief-like 3D artworks of intriguing beauty sculpted from his “palette” of handmade and mould made papers.
While Ray’s favourite subject matter is nature, he also loves to apply his techniques to portraiture in the signature style he terms “Impressionist Sculptured Paper”. Inspired by the Impressionist Painters of that French period, the spirit and life of subjects transcend over realistic representation while remaining immediately recognisable. It’s a style with few sharp edges that works extremely well because the papers Ray uses are torn before being sculpted. Expression is captured while exhibiting the nature of the medium all at once. Abstract experiments are also part of his works.
Artworks may be made of many different papers. Solid elements are usually cotton fibre papers weighing up to 300gsm sourced mainly from Europe, like Arches of France. More delicate elements (8-40gsm) are sculptured in handmade hemp, flax, and mulberry papers predominantly from Japan. It’s not merely the aesthetic expression of the subject matter of each work, but the sum visual experience of depth, delicate translucence and richness of beautiful paper textures all combined that leaves audiences in awe.
Ray Besserdin Paper Sculpture Artist | June 2023