Paper from its most beautiful side

09.03.2021 - In everyday life, we value paper as a faithful companion because of its many good qualities. However, when we take a look at the works of art that creative people are able to elicit from this great material, we are simply amazed. We spoke to Kristine Braanen and Samantha Quinn, founders of the Paper Artist Collective, about art made from paper, and there's a lot of beautiful things for you to see in this article.

Samantha was travelling in Australia when Kristine wrote to her about a commission that she thought would be better suited to her. The two were connected via Instagram, as so many artists are within their various specialisms. The speciality that first brought Kristine and Samantha together, and then their community, is paper art. When the two connected, Kristine asked if Samantha would like to join the original Paper Artist Collective, which was still a Facebook group at the time. There she quickly realised that Samantha was a special calibre of enthusiasm and energy - or, in her own words, "a super machine woman". In the same year - 2015 - the two of them set up the Paper Artist Collective: a virtual home for paper artists from all over the world, where they can share and discuss paper, tools, techniques and ideas, show their art and inspire each other.

"It was supposed to be a place where we could help each other in our own little paper world. None of my friends at the time were really interested in talking about texture or this or that scalpel, so it was great to finally have this group. The collective has evolved a lot since then, but I think the support, advice and network have always remained the most important thing. The icing on the cake is the friendships that are made with us. Many of our artists have met in 'real life'," says Samantha.

After two years, she and Kristine have also managed to meet in person - not easy as leaders of an art collective alongside full-time jobs and families, especially when one lives in Oslo and the other in London. Because they had previously been in contact on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, the meeting felt completely natural. "We know each other very well and respect each other as artists and as people. It's definitely a friendship for life," says Kristine.

The number of members is limited to 100 and membership is by invitation only. This has nothing to do with elitism, but with the fact that Samantha and Kristine have drawn a line that allows the collective to remain manageable and personal. With 100 artists, they recognise the work and style of each member. In addition to the high standard of the work, it is also important to them when accepting new members that they fit in well with the community. Because the community is open, friendly, supportive and has no room for big egos. Now that it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the entire organisation with just the two of them, other members have recently started helping out - and it works. The fact that Kristine and Samantha, as women, are the leaders of the collective is nothing unusual for them and the community, but quite normal - but they wish it were a matter of course for everyone.

However, it is always something special when they bring the community together for collaboration projects: Sometimes they are asked to do this by companies, sometimes they approach companies themselves. They then agree on a creative briefing and publish it as a challenge on their website. From the members who want to take part, they select 15 who interpret and solve the tasks in their own way. The resulting works are always surprising and they are amazed at how people from all over the world can solve the same task with the same material in such different ways. These special projects give the Paper Artist Collective great pleasure and the results are remarkable.

Like all the artists whose work you can see in this article, we naturally asked Kristine and Samantha: Why paper? What do they like so much about it? "You have endless possibilities with paper, it's so versatile - and yet affordable. I like the huge range of weights, textures and colours. It's also wonderful to work with a sustainable material - that's what customers want and that's why they commission me. The lemon tree, parrot and rubbish bins featured in this post were commissioned by a well-known department stores' in London, for whom sustainability is a core value," Samantha replies.

"This is also an important topic for Samantha and me personally," adds Kristine. "We don't throw away leftovers, there's always something that can be done with them - if we really can't use something anymore, it gets recycled. We have an awareness of what paper we buy and how much. I also appreciate paper because it's simple and cheap - and you can still do anything with it. When I started out, I had great fun discovering all the different types of paper, I had no idea there was so much out there. For me, working with paper also has a strong meditative aspect, it helps me to relax. I like the fact that paper feels like a calm medium."