A paper world

Did you know that the art of cutting paper is more than 2000 years old? Traces of such a practice can be found all over the world, particularly among ancient South American and Asian cultures (such as shadow puppets). A legacy still visible today in illustration. Hélène Druvert is inspired by Chinese shadows to create monochrome and meticulously cut images that she calls “dream shadows”. Véronique Joffre focuses on solid colors and the contrasts created by her collages, to develop tender and sweet images of childhood and family. Mathilde Arnaud prefers the pop-up, and thus creates numerous animated books, another practice of cut-out paper, here highlighted in volume.