Japanese Artist Hand-Cuts Octopus From A Single Sheet Of Paper, And It’s Even More Impressive From Up Close

There’s a lot of cool paper art but few projects can even come close to what Masayo Fukuda is capable of. Fukuda has been hand-cutting paper for about 25 years, and this octopus is probably the best representation of her work.

Image credits: Masayo Fukuda

“For me, cutting pictures has become a way of dissipating all the stress of my daily life,” the Japanese artist told Bored Panda. “If you want to get started, all the basics you need are tant paper, a cutter, matte, and a good light source.”

Image credits: Masayo Fukuda

Upon first glance, Fukuda’s octopus looks so detailed, you could easily mistake it for a fine ballpoint pen drawing. She cut it from a single sheet of white A2 paper, perfectly depicting the sea animal’s rounded body, bulging eyes, and its many, many tentacles. “This piece took me 2 months,” Fukuda added.

Image credits: Masayo Fukuda

Although similar styles have evolved in different cultures all over the world, this paper cutting art technique is known as Kirie (or Kirigami) in Japan. It is said to have developed sometime around 700 AD. One traditional distinction it shares with most other styles is that Kirie pieces are usually cut from a single sheet of paper. Just like Fukuda’s octopus.