The joy that comes with paper
- Maud transforms humble paper into intricate, hand cut sculptures
- Her pieces are shaped by the shadows resulting from layers of paper
- Her craft is driven by the impact and pure joy her works leave on others
In a light-filled studio in Paris, sheets of paper become something unexpectedly alive in Maud Vantours' hands. She has explored paper for nearly two decades through cutting, layering and sculpting. Maud divides her time between making personal works and leading a studio that creates bespoke paper sculptures, models and installations by hand. Her practice sits at the intersection of drawing, colour and volume, as she produces works that shift with light. Even though Maud's Pop Art-style artworks appear playful, they are underpinned by a rigorous composition process. “I advocate for slow making. Making becomes almost meditative, an act of care intended to bring joy," she says. Whether creating autonomous artworks or large-scale commissions, Maud returns to the same impulse that shaped her childhood: a need to make beauty tangible with her hands, and to provoke curiosity.
INTERVIEW
I always wanted to pursue drawing, even as a child. Art school exposed me to many materials, but paper felt limitless. After 17 years of experimenting, folding, cutting and layering, I am still surprised by how much transformation this seemingly simple medium allows.
It is the fusion of graphic lines, bold colours and sculptural volume. Light creates shadows that act like 3D drawings. I am inspired by works that reveal more to you the longer you look at them, Flemish floral paintings and Arte Povera artists such as Giuseppe Penone.
Even though the hours of painstaking hand cutting strain my arm, I still find the process almost meditative. In my studio, I create pieces for clients such as Adidas and Bombay Sapphire, and I once demonstrated at the Palais Royal for the French Ministry of Culture. Moments like these when craft meets spectacle make all the hard work worth it.
I want viewers to feel curious. I love works that reveal themselves slowly. The more time they spend, the more details emerge. I hope people wonder about the process, move closer, notice shadows and layers, and feel both surprise and joy in discovering how paper can transform.
