Intricately Carved Nature Scenes Emerge From Old Paper Maps

London-based artist Claire Brewster can find nature in even the most urban spaces around her and she uses that inspiration to develop her intricate paper sculptures. Each piece features delicately hand-carved and laser cut insects, flocks of birds, flowers, or plants that emerge from the pages of out-of-date atlases and maps. With great precision, she cuts and slices the paper away until a group of exquisite creatures come alive from the colorful pages.

Brewster gives new life to the otherwise discarded objects. She uses her imagination to produce her many living creatures, explaining, "My birds, insects and flowers transcend borders and pass freely between countries with scant regard for rules of immigration or the effects of biodiversity."

To present the work, Brewster simply pins the sculpture to the wall or places it within a box frame. As light passes across the surface, the shadows created along the walls create a sense of depth and movement and add to the liveliness of each piece.