alphabets on the cutting edge: hino aoyama

~ jama

#6 in an ongoing series of posts celebrating the alphabet.

Today, let’s bask in the utterly exquisite, mind boggling beauty and delicate intricacy of Hina Aoyama’s papercut art.

Awhile ago, Sara Lewis Holmes tipped me off about this amazing Japanese artist who now lives in France creating pieces that truly take the breath away.

Though she does a lot of scenic pieces, she also handcuts letters, poems, and pieces of literature:

Here’s a Basho haiku,

and a piece that is permanently on display at a miniature museum in Lyon:

She doesn’t use a laser; everything is done by hand with a pair of scissors:

A letter from Voltaire:

Japanese-Swiss Manga:

Here’s a close-up of one of her pieces,

and she even does jewelry!

*Sigh and swoon*

Hina Aoyama’s work has received worldwide acclaim, including a 2008 Paper Art Triennale International Musee de Charmey Suisse First Prize. She says, “My passion is to create a finest cutoff beyond the level of the very time-consuming needle lace making. I don’t follow traditional, but I am trying to create a mixture of the traditional and modern styles and to produce my own world through this super fine lacy-paper-cuttings technique.”

She recently published a book featuring her work, which you can learn more about here.

You absolutely must see her photostream on Flickr and her MySpace page.

Thanks again, Sara, for sharing this great find!

*All images from Hina Aoyama’s Flickr photostream and MySpace page.

Certified authentic alphabetica, handmade just for you with love and a new respect for scissors.

35 thoughts on “alphabets on the cutting edge: hino aoyama”

  13. WOW this stuff is AMAZING!!! I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. It is breathtakingly beautiful. THanks for sharing the find!

    – Carrie, RtK

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  16. Wow, Jama, you took that one little link I sent you and this gorgeous post is the result! Wow. and Wow. (I wish I could remember where I first saw the link, probably BB-Blog or Crooked House, since that’s where I most often ooh and ahh.)

    That Voltaire letter is beyond unbelievable.

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  20. It was Crooked House. Did a little googling; there are lots of other blog posts about her. Now I wish I could read French better and know Japanese to be able to get more background info, etc.

    Thanks for keeping my alphabet obsession in mind as you surf the net!

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  28. Oh gracious, those are STUNNING. Gotta try to see that book. Thanks for sharing this (thanks to Sara, too).

    Jules
    7-Imp

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  34. Her work is absolutely AMAZING and inspiring! I can’t believe she does all that with a scissors. Thanks so much for sharing!

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