asya kozina crafts intricate baroque wigs from paper

asya kozina crafts intricate baroque wigs from paper
all images courtesy of asya kozina

russian artist asya kozina channels the motifs, costumes and aesthetic characteristics of various historical time periods and recreates them using the medium of paper. kozina’s recent series of ‘baroque paper wigs’ reappropriates the wild hairstyles of victorian-era women and men using individually crafted sheets, carefully curled and cut into perfectly permed locks. sculpted arrangements like flowers, leaves and an exceptionally intricate sailboat are delicately placed in the mass of extravagant paper hair, adding a sense of fantasy and whimsy to the conceptual compositions.  ‘historical wigs always fascinated me, especially the baroque era,’ kozina says. ‘this is art for art’s sake aesthetics for aesthetics — no practical sense, but they are beautiful. in this case, paper helps to highlight the main form and not to be obsessed with unnecessary details.’

the ‘baroque paper wigs’ reappropriate the wild hairstyles of victorian-era women and men

individually crafted sheets are carefully curled and cut into perfectly permed locks

sculpted arrangements like flowers, leaves and an intricate sailboat are delicately placed in each wig

the sculpted paper locks add a sense of fantasy and whimsy to the conceptual compositions

curled paper replicates the tightly spun locks of baroque hairstyles 

a specially crafted paper shawl accompanies the model wearing the wig 

in 2014, kozina’s paper fascination led her to the realization of a series of three mongolian wedding costumes made from the medium. dramatically sculpted headdresses and intricate garments have been meticulously sculpted from paper and worn by models. ‘they themselves are very extravagant and futuristic,’ kozina says of the traditional garb. ‘I had to create my own version of these outfits with exaggeration, and white paper emphasized their shape, color and unnecessary details.’

three models don a series of sculptural paper dresses inspired by mongolian wedding costumes 

paper headdresses have been intricately crafted to mimic the style of the traditional garb 

the outfits feature geometric shapes and cut-outs made from paper 

feathers and floral motifs are featured on the paper garment 

a towering headdress sits atop a model’s head, who wears a meticulously crafted paper garment