Friday, October 4, 2024

Tina Kraus Details Ocean Life’s Beauty and Plight Through Realistic Paper Sculptures

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#animals #climate crisis #ocean #paper #pollution #Tina Kraus

Tina Kraus Details Ocean Life’s Beauty and Plight Through Realistic Paper Sculptures

A hermit crab with a tin can as its shell.

All images © Tina Kraus, shared with permission

Tina Kraus (previously) recreates nature’s beauty, idiosyncrasies, and diversity through her intricate paper sculptures. Though the environment has been a source of inspiration since her childhood, Kraus explains to Colossal, “In the past decade, I have become more and more worried about the future. The climate crisis, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity already have a big impact on nature and life on this planet.” These disquietudes gave rise to her Paper Life! Ocean series, in which she focused on marine pollution by depicting a hermit crab living in a tin can, a squid trapped in a fishing net, and more.

Kraus challenges herself to create sculptures that are more and more life-like every time. Working intuitively with a bit of experimentation and spontaneity, the Münster, Germany-based artist always starts with a sketch before continuously building up layers of crepe paper to create depth.

Kraus’ Paper Life! Ocean sculptures will be shown early next year in an international group exhibition at MAKE Southwest. For more updates and artwork, visit her Instagram and website.

A pink squid stuck in a net.

A pink squid stuck in a net.

A bird that has stepped in oil.

Detail of a brid's feathers.

A bird with oil on its feathers and face.

A yellow seahorse wrapped around a plastic straw.

A yellow seahorse wrapped around a plastic straw.

#animals #climate crisis #ocean #paper #pollution #Tina Kraus

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