Niharika Rajput Makes Hand-Built Paper Sculptures of Endangered Birds

By
Dan J
-

Artist Niharika Rajput uses custom-built wire armature and hand-fringed feathers to create these incredibly realistic paper birds. She first creates a structural plan that makes sure everything will go smoothly until the end of each individual project. Rajput does this to help spread awareness of endangered bird species that are dying out around the world.

She first studies the anatomy of a bird she wants to replicate, paying special attention to the type of feather it has and what kind of tail and wings she’s dealing with. As she told This is Colossal, she initially experimented with other materials, but found that paper is the best to work with for what she wants to achieve. 

“As an artist, I find it almost impossible to compete with nature’s sophisticated mechanisms and designs,” Rajput told the outlet. “I have taken this project on, to reach that level of perfection which can be applauded with a great sense of wonder by my audience and also acts as a reminder of what’s out there and needs to be protected.”

See her works below.

View this post on Instagram

Paper sculpture of a Ruby Throated Humming Bird is all done ! This has been the most challenging piece I have made by far and I am mighty thrilled I took it up. The entire process took several days and nights , but it was all worth it , as it always is . Humming birds are one of the most incredible species in the bird kingdom, they can fly backwards and upside down , they can remember each and every flower they have visited and how much time should they take off before revisiting the same flower , they can migrate all the way from Alaska to Mexico which is almost impossible for a bird that size and not to forget how gorgeous are their iridescent feathers , David Attenborough is right in calling them jewelled messengers . #papersculpture #paperart #paper #papercrafts #windowdecor #handmade #hummingbirds #hummingbirdart #wildlifeart #wildlifephotography #birds @mymodernmet @mymodernmetes @colossal @jsragency @latelierfive @vogueindia @vogueliving

A post shared by Niharika Rajput (@paperchirrups) on

View this post on Instagram

Carefully handcrafted Indian Roller #paperbirdsculpture sorry for the shaky video it’s difficult to keep a steady hand when you are filming and holding the bird simultaneously. I wanted to show the details closely. The entire piece is made out of Paper including the inner structure . The Beak , eyes and talons are made using regular epoxy. Each feather whether it’s the primary & secondary wing feathers , Alula, coverts , scapulars, tertiaries or the down feathers in the wings or the body feathers , each one is individually sketched out , hand cut , glued and painted . It’s a really long process but it’s all worth it. I am loving my #rollerbird #elledecorindia #wildlifephotography #wildlifeart #paper #paperie #paperart #paperartwork #paperdecor #windowdecor #windowtreatments #interiordesign #handmade #birds #birdsofinstagram #birds_nature #naturephotography #strictlypaperart #mmmexplore #igenpaper #artmagazines #indianbirds @jsragency @vogueliving @elledecor @elledecorindia @elledecorationfr @elledecorationuk @elledecorationru @elledecorjapan @elledecorationtr @elledecorationczech @vogueindia @anthro_nyc @diamirzaofficial @suzkr @anthropologie @latelierfive

A post shared by Niharika Rajput (@paperchirrups) on

View this post on Instagram

Carefully Handcrafted Indian Roller #papersculpture. Super excited and satiated with how it turned out. I sure can point out a few areas where I need to better my skills but for now I am thrilled with how this guy looks. You can see pictures of the entire process in this post. The Indian roller is very common in the populated plains of India and associated with Hindu legends. It is said to be sacred to Vishnu, and used to be caught and released during festivals such as Dussera or the last day of Durga Puja.A local Hindi name is neelkanth,meaning "blue throat", a name associated with the deity Shiva (who drank poison resulting in the blue throat).Adding its chopped feathers to grass and feeding them to cows was believed to increase their milk yield.The Indian roller has been chosen as the state bird by the Indian states of Odisha, Karnataka and Telangana. #strictlypaperart #paper #paperbirds #paperdecor #paperdecoration #birds #birdsofinstagram #wildlifephotography #wildlifeart #wildlifeconservation #nature #bluebird #windowdisplay #windowdecor #mmmexplore #nyc #ifcseoul #dubaiart @archdigest @archdigestindia @architectanddesign @voguemagazine @vogueliving @elledecorindia @elledecoritalia @elledecor @harpersmagazine @theidealhomeandgarden @design_interior_homes @hmhome @diorointeriors @hermes @tiffanyandco

A post shared by Niharika Rajput (@paperchirrups) on

View this post on Instagram

Finished gluing all the tiny hand cut paper feathers on to the body of this Indian Roller. I will start painting the bird soon , really excited to see how it looks when it’s all done ! #paperfeathers #paperart #paper #papersculpture #papercrafts #paperdecor #windowtreatments #windowdisplay #windowdisplaydesign #interiordesign #homedecor #birds #birdsofinstagram #birds_nature #strictlypaperart #elledecor #wildlifephotography #wildlifeart #wildlifeartist #wildlifeartistoftheyear #sculpture #birdsculpture #handmade @strictlypaperart @designplusmag @archdigest @archdigestindia @natural_history_museum @naturalhabitatadventures @wildlife.hd @natgeo @natgeoimagecollection @natgeocreativeteam @designboom @design_interior_homes @elledecor @elledecorationuk @elledecorationfr @elledecorationdk @harpersbazaarus @anthro_sanfrancisco @hermes @tiffanyandco @ifcmall_seoul

A post shared by Niharika Rajput (@paperchirrups) on