Intricately Cut Paper Portraits of Endangered Animals Around the World

Paper Cut out Art

Tiger

Philippines-based creative Patrick Cabral is a man of many talents. At age 11, he discovered a love for calligraphy, but as he got older he was drawn to a career in the digital world as a web programmer and animator. Now, he's combining the structure inherent in digital design with the type of flourishes you'd find in calligraphy. His gorgeous work features portraits of animals adorned with exquisite lace motifs stacked in layers of three-dimensional beauty.

Cabral’s stunning relief series includes creatures from around the world. Though they differ in species, they all share the same distressing characteristic: each of these animals are endangered. It is fitting, then, that his portraits are so delicate. The complex, abstract patterns with intricate slices offer an apt metaphor; like their fragile construction, the fate of those real animals like pandas, snow leopards, and pangolins hangs in the balance. It’s up to us to save their dwindling populations before it’s too late.

To help do his part, Cabral is selling his work through the online art auction site called Acts of Kindness. It has a social good component, and 50% of the proceeds from each of Cabral’s sales goes towards the World Wide Fund for Nature in the Philippines.

Patrick Cabral creates layered paper cutting art depicting endangered animals.

Paper Cut out Art

Lynx

Amazing Paper Cutting Art

Panda

Paper Cut out Art

Pangolin

Paper Cutting Art

Rhinoceros

Paper Cutting Art

Rhinoceros

The incredibly complex forms are constructed with exquisite lace motifs. Their delicate nature is a metaphor for the fragility of these populations.

Paper Cutting Art

Elephant

Paper Cut out Art

Gorilla

Paper Cut out Art

Sea turtle

Paper Cutting Art

Tamaraw

Paper Cutting Art

Tamaraw (detail)

To help save the animals, Cabral is donating 50% of proceeds from sales to Wide Fund for Nature in the Philippines.

Amazing Paper Cutting Art

Dhole

Paper Cutting Art

Polar bear

Paper Cutting Art

Polar bear (detail)

Paper Cut out Art

Tiger

Patrick Cabral: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Lustik]

All images via Patrick Cabral.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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