Delicate Paper Scenes Cut from Single Sheets of Paper

Kanako Abe, an artist living in San Francisco, is a master of the traditional Japanese art form of kiri-e, which is cutting paper.

Her works are often meditations on the human experience. For example, for this piece, titled Sun Ritual, she writes:

During our journey, sometimes we get caught in shadow and let critical inner voice and self-hatred eat us alive. Sometimes it’s just impossible to believe “Everything’s gonna be ok”. Once a friend told me, “ If you let yourself sink all the way down to the bottom, you will naturally float back up to the surface little by little”, so instead of pretending to be ok, I started doing that. It’s ok to be not ok. It’s ok just to exist, breathe and do nothing else. The sun’s always there to celebrate your life.

Abe's works often reflect an animistic impulse, as you can see in this piece titled Breathe. Her subject bestrides the plant an animal world to absorb life from sunlight.

In addition to her website, you can find Abe's works on Instagram, where a few photos hint at her creative process.