From the Japanese words “kiru” (to cut) and “kami” (paper), kirigami is an ancient art form that involves cutting intricate shapes into paper. The cutting may be coupled with folding to create 3D structures. All examples were cut by hand using a #11 Exacto Blade, most using the highly recommended Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife. For more papercraft, check out my origami and origamic architecture pages. You can also find a more comprehensive collection of my work on my Flickr page.

From left to right: a self-portrait, portrait of Beethoven and a portrait of my cousin’s daughter. In each case a single of paper is used and remains fully connected after all cuts are made.

Each of these pieces is crafted using designs published by George Hart. In each case, a single repeating unit is interconnected with its neighbors to form a 3D object without the use of glue or other adhesive.

All of these “sliceforms” represent original work. Designs were painstakingly drawn in the open source program Inkscape and cut by hand.