Kanako Abe

Today is Tuesday, August 4th

Hello everyone! If you’re ready to start trying your hand at paper-cutting after looking at Crafterholic’s paper-cutting tutorial yesterday, you may find yourself inspired by the beautiful work of today’s featured artist, Kanako Abe. Abe was born in northeast Japan, and moved to San Francisco 15 years ago to study theatre arts, making props and costumes, and in 2012 decided that she wanted to pursue artmaking independent of the stage. “At that time,” Abe says, “I still didn’t know which medium was right for me so I tried pastel, watercolor, textile etc... and one day I tried kirie (Japanese word for paper cutting art) just for fun and it clicked”. She enjoys the challenge of “creating something out of one material and the process of transforming something ordinary to extraordinary”. Much of Abe’s work is inspired by the natural world and features animals or plant life. She thinks that “paper-cut art has a unique way of telling stories,” and as much mastery as she has over her blade, she has never stopped exploring and experimenting the boundaries of her craft.

You can view more of her work on her website, kanakoa.be, and on her Instagram, @abemanatee.