Paper Sculptor Tatsuya Takahashi Reveals His Production Process!

You can see that they’re made from paper, but the sculptures are so elaborate you can’t help thinking, “How did he do that?” So we asked Tatsuya Takahashi who produces these paper sculptures just that question.

I Taught Myself How to Do All of This

Takahashi began paper sculpture four years ago when he was in the second year of art school. “When I was looking for materials for my coursework, I saw some paper-based works on the internet and it was love at first sight. After that I started getting really into it, but even though the stuff I started to make was good there was no one at the university to teach me, so I carried on working on them by trial and error just learning everything on my own.”

Normally Takahashi strives to produce the sculptures in a room at home where he works 10-12 hours a day. “I’m a lazy guy,” he says, but once he starts concentrating he gives it his all from morning ’til night. A lot of the time he’s working on bases for two or three pieces for a month, and as of now he’s completed more than 20 sculptures. “It’s not like they’re completely finished though,” he says humbly, still pushing himself to become a professional paper sculptor.

My Aim is Show You a Completely New Side of Paper

The themes and motifs of the sculptures are things Takahashi discovers whilst walking or on the internet. He even makes photorealistic pieces like koi carp which have a lot of scales. “Recently I was commissioned to make something for the dentists I’ve always gone to, so I made an astronaut for their waiting room which children and adults can both enjoy.”

A number of his pieces have been presented on TOM too themed around some of the anime Takahashi likes. “The parts I learned to make by myself - there’s no handbook that tells you how you should do it, I’m still figuring out how to do it as I make them. When it comes to anime sculptures, there are the hems on skirts and other difficult details, but by challenging myself with these kinds of problems I’m striving to fully understand my own technique.”

Takahashi says the projects he’d most like to tackle are “large-scale works.” “Up to now my largest piece has been 2 by 2 meters - it was my university graduation project. With a larger sculpture I want create something with a sense of perspective. When you have a sense of perspective, even without thickness (height) you can get a 3D effect.”

About the future, Takahashi says, “I want a lot of people to enjoy my work. Not just using paper for drawings or origami, I want to start displaying pieces which show off a new side of paper through these sculptures.”

This time Takahashi has specially allowed us in on the creative process of a new sculpture, and there are great expectations for his future activity too!

Tatsuya Takahashi’s Twitter
Tatsuya Takahashi’s TOM Portfolio Page

© TatsuyaTakahashi

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.

Tatsuya Takahashi, Paper Sculpture Artist
Tatsuya Takahashi, Paper Sculpture Artist
Paper Sculptor Tatsuya Takahashi Reveals His Production Process! 2
Kotori Minami from Love Live! - an anime Takahashi particularly likes.
Kotori Minami from *Love Live!* - an anime Takahashi particularly likes.
Paper Sculptor Tatsuya Takahashi Reveals His Production Process! 4
The astronaut Takahashi was commissioned to create for his dentist.
The astronaut Takahashi was commissioned to create for his dentist.
Paper Sculptor Tatsuya Takahashi Reveals His Production Process! 6
The new piece Takahashi showed us the creation of - Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura.
The new piece Takahashi showed us the creation of - Sakura Kinomoto from *Cardcaptor Sakura*.
Paper Sculptor Tatsuya Takahashi Reveals His Production Process! 8

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