Sculpting art from cardboard
- Marie-Anne creates remarkable sculptures out of 'cardboard lace'
- The emotion of the piece tells her when she’s finished
- Her work is a hybrid of craftsmanship and fine art
In 2005, Marie-Anne Thieffry came across the cardboard furniture designs of architect Frank Gehry. She was inspired to begin working with what might be considered an unusual artistic medium. “I hadn’t considered cardboard a material that could be shaped,” she says. She has a background in art and design, although she essentially trained herself to work with cardboard. Once she got going, she never looked back. Her lamps and furniture designs, and especially her sculptures, emphasise the softer side of cardboard. “Working with this material involves a few paradoxes: the startling interplay of light and shadow, the fragility of a material that is often used as protection.”
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
Yes, it was a furniture design called Alto, named for a musical note. It took me a very long time. At the beginning, because I was training myself, I made and remade each piece. I learned to work with the structure, I learned the right technique.
I don’t believe one randomly discovers a material, it’s more that an artist finds a material because that material suits the artist. My work definitely showcases cardboard, highlights it, yes, but it’s a material that gives so much back to me.
I’m very interested in the softness of cardboard. I believe there are no angles inside of me. I prefer curves, and so I love the calming and soothing aspect of cardboard. It’s not what we see when we think of a box. It’s a very personal approach.
The transparency of cardboard is what makes it possible to play with light in my designs. There’s a two-way connection. The cardboard takes the light and the light plays with the material. This is most obvious when I’m creating and using what I call 'cardboard lace'.
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