Our March artist of the month is Annemarieke Kloosterhof whose versatile work ranges from miniature paper architecture models, to large scale cardboard props & set design.
Annemarieke Kloosterhof
Haggerston, East London
UK
Website:
Instagram:
"I can’t get over how many different things you can do
with such a simple material."
Where do you make your paper art?
My art-studio is based in Haggerston, East London… just off the canal! I absolutely
love it here, because I’ve built up a nice little family of fellow artists & creatives
around me, and we often have lunch together.
How long have you been working with paper?
I’ve been working with paper for over 12 years now! Time flies when you are having
fun. It started with single layer white paper-cuttings, then quickly moved on to colourful and multi-layered ones, before experimenting with illustration, collage and 3d pieces. Over the past 7 years I’ve been expanding even further and creating anything from miniature paper architecture models, to large scale cardboard props & set design! I now primarily work as a 3D paper artist creating pieces for photography, music videos and commercials.
How would you describe your approach to paper art?
Chaotic child-like enthusiasm, haha!
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere except Pinterest. ;) I only occasionally use that to see what is already
out there, and what to avoid. It’s really easy to accidentally copy someone you are
‘inspired’ by, so instead I look for inspiration from creative fields different to my
own: Architecture, films, social interactions, mathematics, language, the difference
between cultures, etc. The big wide open world around us and our place within it. I
also LOVE psychology, colour theory and a good composition… and for personal
projects I often look to my friends & family and how we impacted each other. No
better brainstorm than a cup of tea with a studio mate or a beer with a pal at the
pub!!
Describe your work to us in three words:
Colourful, Fun, Diverse
What are your favorite papers to work with?
Definitely G.F.Smith’s Colorplan range, because of their super vibrant & wide range
of colours, and you can get them in a variety of textures & embossings!
What tool could you not live without?
Scalpels… Easy. ;)
Oh, and my rose-gold super sharp scissors. They are definitely the fanciest tool I
own.
What is the best thing about working with paper as a medium?
It’s so incredibly versatile! I can’t get over how many different things you can do
with such a simple material. You can cut, fold, shred, craft, recycle, mold, tear,
collage and glue in endless combinations and possibilities. With anything from
wafer thin crepe paper, to coloured card and thick cardboard… there’s so much to
experiment with! I never get tired of it.
Who are some of your favorite paper artists?
There are so many to name! And of course I’m a fan of the wide variety of artists that are part of the Paper Artist Collective… but it’s extra special when you discover
someone completely different. Some more specialist paper-illustrators I really love
are Morgana Wallace, who works with textured hand-painted papers, and Yulia
Brodskaya, who specialises in paper quilling. I recently discovered the work of Roland Simard, and I’m OBSESSED! He specialises in recycled paper-pulp painting, and his detailed work is absolutely mesmerising!
I really love these 3 artists work in particular just because it’s so different to the sort of stuff I do myself. With papercraft being such a specific technique there’s a slight danger that the work of people with similar styles start to look alike, because there’s only so many ways you can glue/fold/cut a paper artwork… so it’s really motivating when I discover people who have completely put their own twist on things!
What are you working on at the moment?
I usually work on multiple projects at once! Too many ideas floating around in this
brain of mine, and not enough hours in the day to sit still. I’m currently working on
some mural painting designs… A series of 3 dimensional abstract paper artworks
exploring the signature colours and geometric shapes of the Bauhaus movement,
with a modern 3D approach… and another large scale recycled paper-pulp artwork!
