Greg Olijnyk
Cardboard artist
Melbourne, Australia
Complexity in cardboard creations
- Greg primarily works with the organic, natural-hued medium of cardboard
- Each creation is hand cut with a scalpel and steel ruler or circle cutter
- His highly detailed, large-scale works can take over a year to complete
Greg Olijnyk’s artworks are highly detailed cardboard sculptures that explore miniature worlds, each with a story to tell. “Sculpting in a 3D space allows me to add small details that are not immediately obvious," he says. "The observer can discover hidden aspects of the story as they explore the piece." Greg's material lends itself to geometric, mechanical shapes that require only a simple set of tools, yet allow him to craft intricate forms. Though ideas can spark instantly, bringing them to life physically requires months of slow, deliberate construction. “When a building requires thousands of tiny bricks to cover the façade, there is no shortcut to achieving a satisfying result," Greg explains. "It is simply one brick glued down after another.”
INTERVIEW
I draw inspiration from a diverse range of sources: a lifelong sci-fi fascination, an interest in all things mechanical, architectural details from old buildings, and of course, the work of other artists. Inspiration also comes from things I see every day through the filter of the artist’s eye: a building detail, a collection of pipes, the rivets on an old bridge.
I was inspired by other artists using cardboard to create amazing structures. As a designer, I was already familiar with the material, so creating my own cardboard sculptures felt like a natural evolution. I use packaging-grade cardboard with a rich natural colour and a subtle, fibrous texture.
My background as a designer in an analogue age helped me hone my skills working with paper and cardboard, using a scalpel blade and a steel ruler. In any design, the devil is in the detail. Solving visual challenges in a design project helped me develop specific approaches to construction problems while working with cardboard.
After spending years on keyboards and computer screens, I find working with my hands and creating a physical 3D object to be quite liberating. Through hands-on practice, I have learned and continue to learn my craft. I am always trying different techniques, incorporating lighting into a piece, introducing new shades of colour to continually evolve as an artist.
Greg Olijnyk
Cardboard artist
Melbourne, Australia
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English
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