JUDiTH + ROLFE's paper quilled floral artworks capture the diversity in nature

combining an architectural background with the world of paper art, minnesota-based artistic duo JUDiTH + ROLFE creates intricately crafted plants and flowers. sculpted into a variety of botanical species, their work captures the diversity of nature whilst putting a contemporary spin on an ancient art form.

images courtesy of JUDiTH + ROLFE

derived from their middle names, JUDiTH + ROLFE is a husband-and-wife-duo made up of artist daphne judith, and her partner jamie sneed, who runs the business and logistics. after a decade of working as an architect, and a move from new york city to minneapolis—she developed a love of paper art.

using a technique known as quilling, she now uses paper to capture the graphic make up of flora, including magnolias, irises, and begonia. it is a technique which dates back to the 15th century, when it was initially used to decorate religious objects.

traditional quilling or paper filigree work consists of rolled paper strips manipulated into various decorative shapes. in lee’s contemporary take on the ancient craft, she creates pieces using a single strip of paper as their own line.

big and bold pieces evolve with the change of both shadow and light. inspired by the peony bushes in their backyard, ‘bloom’ is an attempt to capture their short-lived beauty. for the construction of ‘lotus’ strips of paper are glued only to each other, creating a delicate freestanding object depicting the upward-cupped leaves of the flower.

other works are glued down to a backer and framed. to view more of JUDiTH + ROLFE’s work, visit their website or their instagram page.