We’ve covered the work of several talented paper artists throughout the years, but no one uses the fragile material quite like Japanese artist Manabu Kosaka. He creates astonishingly detailed, 1:1-scale replicas of everyday objects, from retro cameras and vintage gaming consoles to watches and shoes. But they don’t just look the part on the surface—many of the sculptures open to reveal complex paper mechanisms, circuit boards, and wires modeled after their real counterparts.
At first glance, Kosaka’s sculptures might look like they’ve been 3D-printed. But, it’s the opposite; every one of his pieces is meticulously handcrafted using only paper. To begin, the artist carefully studies the details of the real objects he wants to replicate, often disassembling them to understand all of the tiny components and details that make them function. He then cuts out individual paper parts and assembles them, piece by piece, over weeks or sometimes months.
Although colorless, Kosaka’s sculptures look strikingly lifelike, and some even verge on functioning like the objects that inspired them. His 35mm film Olympus Trip camera, for instance, features a strap and an opening back hatch, while the top houses a film-advance lever and other gears, several of which are fully movable.
Paper is inherently delicate and often fussy to work with, but Kosaka believes it’s the perfect material for his growing body of work. “I feel that paper is a material that fully embraces and supports my artistic expression,” he tells My Modern Met. “It fits very naturally with what I want to communicate through my work, and I feel it is the ideal material for my practice.”
However, Kosaka’s incredible sculptures don’t come without some challenges. “Creating parts that I have never made before can be very difficult,” reveals the artist. “For example, I remember going through a great deal of trial and error when trying to recreate textures such as fabric or leather.” Kosaka adds, “Even so, the fact that paper makes these expressions possible is what makes it such a wonderful material to me.”
Check out Kosaka’s paper sculptures below and find more of his amazing work on Instagram.
Manabu Kosaka creates astonishingly detailed, 1:1-scale replicas of everyday objects, from retro cameras and vintage gaming consoles to watches and shoes.
They might look like they could have been 3D-printed, but every one of Kosaka’s sculptures is meticulously handcrafted in paper.
Many of the sculptures open up to reveal complex paper mechanisms, circuit boards, and wires modeled after their real counterparts.
Manabu Kosaka: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Manabu Kosaka.
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