There’s something rather exquisite about the creative process that takes place when creating paper art: a transformative quality that takes shape when a humble piece of paper is folded, laser-cut, layered, and glued. Starting with origami and evolving over the centuries, the unique artform sees paper less of a canvas and more as a medium in and of itself.
And much like other forms of creativity, when it comes to paper art—no two artists are the same. Art duo Adrian Woods and Gidi van Maarseveen, aka Adrian & Gidi, take a more sculptural approach when it comes to paper. Based in Amsterdam, their commercial work includes fields like craft, design, and animation, with brands like ELLE, Vogue, Clinique, and Adobe, giving them a stamp of approval.
“Every project has its own challenges,” the two admitted in an interview with Medium. “When we are working with unfamiliar materials, and tight deadlines it can be challenging to get good results in limited time. But till now, we have seemed to manage.”
The two not only share a studio together but also a home. Having met at the Royal Academy of Arts, they’ve joined creative forces ever since. “We studied together, and helped each other with our art projects,” they further explained. “Our working together during the study blossomed into a relationship, which grew into a working collaboration. So actually, in a way, we have been working together since we met.”
Recent projects include a commercial for the Gucci Bloom perfume and a campaign shot for L’Occitane. But according to the creative duo, inspiration mostly comes from the banalities of everyday life. “Design wise we get a lot of inspiration from our daily lives,” they note. “For instance, when working on miniature architecture we get a lot of inspiration from the old buildings here in Amsterdam. You notice all the little details, and everything around you turns into miniature sets in your head.”
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