Artist Cleverly Folds Paper and Canvas Into Expressive Faces in a Passionate Kiss

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

For many, learning how to draw a portrait is one of the most challenging endeavors. Artist Polly Verity, however, manages to render human features without ever reaching for a pencil or paintbrush. Instead, she cleverly folds and creases thick pieces of watercolor paper, canvas, and sometimes wire mesh to create a human visage (or two).

Each of these sculptures interacts with the light source to reveal realistic features, like the nose, nostrils, lips, and eyes that Verity has pinched and smoothed into existence. She makes realistic profiles of individuals as well as portraits of couples kissing one another.

The beauty of these delicate works of art is in their simplicity. Verity begins her process with an ordinary square or rectangular sheet of paper and manipulates the 2D surface until she achieves the desired effect. Instead of relying on another medium to bring her vision to life, Verity harnesses the natural elegance of paper and canvas, letting her work shine when the light hits the folded portrait.

You can purchase original sculptures via Verity's online shop, and keep up to date with her latest projects and upcoming exhibitions by following the artist on Instagram.

Artist Polly Verity folds pieces of watercolor paper, canvas, and wire mesh into amazing sculptures of faces.

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

She creates lips with a few well-placed creases…

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

A few more folds, and there's a nose…

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

…and eventually there's a full profile of the human face.

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Verity is continually experimenting and excelling with her unique technique, representing all different face shapes along the way.

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Her portfolio of work also explores different sections of the face.

Folded Face Sculpture by Polly Verity

Watch Verity make her sculptures in these videos:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Polly Verity (@polyscene)

Polly Verity: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Polly Verity.

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Giant Sculpture Is Made up of 70,000 Hand-Crafted Ceramic Vases

Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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