intricate paper sculptures by makiko azakami play with scale and substance

what might at first glance appear to be a collection of mundane everyday objects prove upon closer inspection to be a little more…fragile. these incredible paper sculptures are part of new collection of work by makiko azakami, continuing her more than 30 year practice of making true to life paper sculptures. 

azamaki had her first solo exhibition in 1985

makiko azakami began her paper making career while working as a modeler for sony creative products, where she crafted a miniature godzilla out of paper and glue as a gift for her friend. taken by the character and charm created by the simple combination of scale and material, azakami tried her hand at recreating an assortment of objects, and now does so for a living. entitled ‘i ♥ tools’, azakami’s newest exhibition is concerned with the everyday, taking items and appliances of no particular significance and recreating them in a variety of scales by shrinking them down or blowing them up beyond their usual dimensions. 

her obsession began after she made a paper godzilla as a gift for a friend

while the intricate appearance of the objects may prompt descriptors like ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’, visitors should be wary of underestimating the work. according to the LA times, her exquisitely detailed recreations are made with paper, tape, tweezers, scissors and a knife — without glue or ruler. the collection — which ranges from cameras to pencils, gasoline cans to paintbrushes — belies a level of artistry and craftsmanship beyond merely folding a page. in 1985, after her first solo exhibition was met with the typical ‘cutesy’ rhetoric that is often prescribed to paper artists, azakami visited an exhibition by australian sculptor ron mueck and was influenced by the artist’s attitude toward scale and substance. azakami’s sculptures should be regarded as just that — fragile but striking artworks, intent on questioning our connections to the world around us by suggesting new approaches to size and matter. ‘i ♥ tools’ challenges our perception of established, over-familiar objects and encourages the viewer to reconsider their relationship to the items that populate their day-to-day lives. 

‘i ♥ tools’ will be exhibited at hpgrp gallery in new york until october 13th, 2016.

azakami was influenced by australian sculptor ron mueck

‘i ♥ tools’ challenges our perception of established, over-familiar objects

while the size of the objects may prompt descriptors like ‘cute’, visitors should be wary of underestimating the work

the sculptures encourage the viewer to reconsider their relationship to the objects that populate their ever day lives

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