Wild Personalities Flirt With Their Frames in Calvin Nicholls’s Meticulous Paper Sculptures

Art
Craft

#animals
#birds
#Calvin Nicholls
#paper
#sculpture

Wild Personalities Flirt With Their Frames in Calvin Nicholls’s Meticulous Paper Sculptures

February 16, 2023

Kate Mothes

All images © Calvin Nicholls, shared with permission

In exacting detail, a giraffe nuzzles its young and a panda noshes on eucalyptus fronds in Calvin Nicholls’s paper sculptures (previously). Working primarily in white and neutral-toned paper, his pieces capture the intricate details of animals’ musculature, fur, and feathers in meticulous cuts and creases. Mounted onto dark backgrounds and situated within a border of mat board, Nicholls’s subjects resist being contained altogether, as a paw, bill, or ear projects just outside the frame. “I often reach out to wildlife photographers and stock agencies to fill gaps in the gestures and moments I’m eager to create,” he tells Colossal, sharing that these kinds of collaborations have led to some of his favorite works.

Based two hours north of Toronto in the Kawartha Lakes region, Nicholls has ample opportunities for walks in nature and viewing wildlife, which inspire an ongoing series called Backyard Birds, along with individual commissions. Find more information on his website and Instagram.

#animals
#birds
#Calvin Nicholls
#paper
#sculpture

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