Familiar creatures in a paper land
- Alice is self-taught in her papier mâché practice
- Her artistic vision is influenced by wildlife
- She has gained international recognition for her unique style
Alice Zanin brings animals to life in papier mâché sculptures. “Drawing inspiration from the natural world, I create a surreal paper zoo of airy animals that float between my childhood memories and my dreamlike vision of the world,” Alice says. Her works, which are supported by inner iron frames, are a refined take on the ancient technique of papier mâché. Alice has showcased her pieces at venues such as the Milan Triennale and the Marino Marini Museum in Florence, as well as at international art fairs. She was a finalist in international contemporary art competitions such as the 2014 Combat Prize and the 2016 Arteam Cup. In 2018, Exibart named Alice as one of the top 222 emerging artists in Italy.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
My style is a longing for absolute lightness, in contrast to the traditional idea of solidity in sculpture. My forms are elongated, almost Art Nouveau in style, and often suspended with nylon threads to create the impression of floating in space.
During the making process, a tighter or wider bend of the inner rods results in a pose, a suggestion of movement or expression in the animal. I am fascinated by their ability to emerge as if they had their own personality.
I enjoy my birds as finished pieces, because they are incredibly complex to make. The light, aerial quality of paper meets the simulated flight of wings swirling in suspension, and the result becomes visual poetry.
I learned to focus on the essence of an idea. It takes years of work and mistakes, but in the end, I forget the effort, and only the beauty remains. It is not about ease, but about the joy of the outcome – in art as in life.
