When Tomoko Shioyasu breaks out the paper and scissors, she does not settle for creating simple joys like paper dolls or delicate snowflakes. She transforms gigantic sheets of paper into some of the most delicate, intricate tapestries ever seen. Like many artists, Tomoko was inspired to create her incredible works by the awesome beauty of nature.

Looking at a leaf, it is difficult to miss the delicate yet lively patterns created by its veins. Noticing the same patterns while studying at the Kyoto City University of Arts, Tomoko Shioyasu decided to re-create some of these natural artworks. She patiently cut paper with a utility knife, working slowly and carefully to create the delicate shapes and organic patterns seen in her large-scale artworks.

Tomoko also sometimes uses a soldering iron along with special synthetic paper to melt holes. Walking among the finished tapestries gives one a feeling of being in nature thanks to the shapes that call to mind cellular structures, plants and the elements.

Resulting from her careful cutting and overlapping are these mind-blowing works of art which accurately represent many aspects of the natural world. Things which are normally difficult to depict like wind and waves are recreated with swirling cutouts and expertly arranged perforations. There is a decidedly Zen feel to these pieces, perhaps born from the tedious and repetitive nature of their creation.

(images via: Scai the Bathhouse)

The finished products are so much more compelling and beautiful than one might expect from paper cutout art. These huge pieces are somehow hung for display without ripping and falling to pieces. The space surrounding the tapestries even becomes a part of the pieces themselves, defining physical boundaries but never restricting the area inhabited by the positive and negative spaces of the tapestries.