London based illustrator Poppy Chancellor specializes in the art of papercutting, though her use of this traditional form of artmaking is quite surprising. “My upbringing was very ramshackle,” she admitted in an interview with Bibelot Magazine. “No rules and lots of creative outlets, I used to draw all over my bedroom walls.”
Her early creative freedom, one would argue, would foresee her later career choice. After studying illustration at Kingston University, Chancellor went on to study at the Royal Drawing School where she started making customized paper artworks for friends and family. This practice has been continuously refined, over the past seven years, with both her private and commercial clients.
With clients that include brands like Nike, Adidas, and YouTube, people are clearly taking note. Chancellor also runs papercutting workshops for brands, events, and festivals which included Latitude Festival and Bestival. According to her estimations, she has taught hundreds of people at venues such as The Royal Academy of Art, The V&A Museum, and The Southbank Centre.
But at the heart of her creation is a blank piece of paper. “I love that it’s a cheap everyday object that people often disregard,” she says. “Paper is such a familiar thing to us, something that we’d probably just chuck in the bin. I enjoy that I can elevate it and turn it into something really beautiful.”
Take a look at some of her beautiful creations.
