yoo hyun hand-cuts hyper-realistic portraits from paper

yoo hyun hand-cuts hyper-realistic portraits from paper
all images courtesy of yoo hyun

patience, precision and a very steady hand are only a few of the skills necessary to realize the series of hand-cut paper portraits by korea-based artist yoo hyun. the portfolio of meticulous works are made with humble tools, including an x-acto knife, household tweezers and large sheets of paper.

the face of fashion icon and hollywood starlet audrey hepburn is realized in paper

by carefully slicing away thin slivers of the material, hyun forms a woven zig-zag pattern contained inside a solid frame. although these narrow lines of varied widths and measures may appear to be nothing more than unusual slices of paper at close range, a hyper-realistic portrait appears when held from a distance. 

frida kahlo’s distinct image is revealed in the hand-cut composition

working together, negative and positive space forms the image of hollywood starlets like marilyn monroe and audrey hepburn, and world-renowned artists including pablo picasso and frida kahlo. because the cut areas allow for negative space, the image behind the composition can be changed and altered depending on the desired effect. a monochromatic paint splatter — one of hyun’s most frequent backdrops — adds a dynamic quality to the hand-cut composition; holding the perforated image against the body clearly illustrates the scale and magnitude of the work. 

justin timberlake is revealed through the balance of negative and positive space

a portrait of marilyn monroe is placed on a monochromatic background

a portrait of jim morrison is cut away from the paper 

a detail of the negative and positive space created by the cut-outs 

holding the portrait of picasso

making-of — thin slivers of paper are carefully carved out from the paper 

an x-acto knife and tweezers are used to complete each hand-cut composition

work in progress on the portrait of frida kahlo 

via [mymodernmet]