Artist Kanako Abe transforms paper into intimate, story-rich worlds where woodland creatures emerge from dense layers of leaves, stars and imagined landscapes. Her meticulously cut relief collages bring together oversized wolves, alert deer, rabbits and squirrels in scenes that feel shaped by folklore and childhood imagination.
Stories Told Through Layers of Paper
Abe's practice centres on paper-cutting, using depth and intricate detailing to create a sense of discovery within each composition. Foliage often frames her animal characters like a portal, inviting viewers into a fictional forest where nature, memory and fantasy overlap.
The artist describes paper as a space for untold stories, with every cut contributing to a meeting point between imagination and reality. This approach gives her small-scale works a narrative quality, turning familiar creatures into expressive figures within expansive visual worlds.
A New Collaboration for Young Readers
Abe has also brought her distinctive visual language to The Paper Girl, an upcoming book created with young adult author Caryl Lewis and published by Frances Lincoln Ltd. The story follows a young character who continually reshapes herself to meet others' expectations before discovering the confidence to establish her own boundaries.
Set for release on October 6, the project connects Abe's handcrafted artistic method with a message of self-expression and resilience. Alongside the book, the artist is preparing new exhibition activity, including a curatorial project at Giant Robot Gallery in January and a group exhibition at Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia, Washington, next April.
Abe's work points to a future in which tactile, handcrafted storytelling can continue to create meaningful connections across art, publishing and younger audiences.
