An Interview With an Artist Who Creates Magnificent Animal Sculptures From Rolled Strips of Newspaper

In 2016, we wrote about Japanese artist Chie Hitotsuyama and her magnificent animal sculptures made from rolled strips of newspaper. Great Big Story caught up with the artist who spoke firsthand about her family background with paper, her inspiration to recreate these incredible creatures and how she goes about doing so.

In her grandfather’s old paper-braiding factory, she creates lifelike sculptures of animals by using old newspaper rolled and twisted into intricate shapes. Through a detailed process gleaned in part from her family’s tradition, Hitotsuyama breathes new life into paper waste—taking recycling to a whole new level.

Here are some newer works by Chie Hitotsuyama.

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Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.