The artist, Masayo Fukuda, is a master of Kirie, an ancient Japanese art form.
ADVERTISEMENTPaper cut-outs may not sound like the most dazzling of art forms, but Japanese artist Masayo Fukuda is capable of producing the most delicate and intricate pieces of art with just a piece of paper.
That's because Fukuda is a master of Kirie or Kirigami, an ancient Japanese practice consisting of carving out a design from a single sheet of white paper.
Her latest piece is a beautifully detailed octopus — she has described it as her best work of 2018.
It took her an astonishing two months to complete the octopus by, very gently, cutting out tiny bits of negative space from her original drawing.
The result is a piece so intricate that when it is set against a black background or very carefully manipulated, the octopus appears to come to life.
On her blog and social media platforms, Fukuda has broken down her process showing the different steps including drawings and cutting.
Although she has crowned the octopus her best piece of 2018, with 25 years of experience, Fukuda has produced many other beautiful artworks including various jellyfish, chameleons and whales.
Kirie is believed to have developed at around 610 AD when Tesuki Washi paper first made it to Japan from China. Nowadays, both Kirie and Washi have been granted the UNESCO Heritage seal of approval.