Paper is wonderful because of the infinite possibilities a crisp, blank, white sheet holds. You can do anything with it! You can write a letter. You can make a list. You can fold it up into an origami crane. You can draw a dolphin on it.
Or, if you're artist Asya Kozina and your paper-crafting skills are off the charts, you can create stunning, complex, baroque-style wigs out of it.
Using just white paper and her imagination, the Russian artist creates the rolls, curls, and bouffants that characterize the powdered wigs worn by European aristocracy in the 18th century.
To create the wigs, Asya cuts, folds, and rolls multiple sheets of paper until she creates a three-dimensional, wearable form. And true to history, she also adds in decorations like flowers, feathers, and even a miniature ship — all also crafted from paper.
The result is a surprisingly lifelike reimagining of the historical wigs that were such the rage centuries ago but seem so bizarre today. And the stark white of the paper actually makes them more realistic, as many of the wigs were powdered!
[H/T: DesignBoom]
The wigs are created using nothing but cut, folded, and rolled paper. Asya doesn't add any color or any other material into her projects.
"Historical wigs have always fascinated me," she explains, "especially the baroque era."
She likes them for the very reason they seem so bizarre to us — because of their complete impracticality.
"This is art for art's sake, aesthetics for aesthetics," she says. "No practical sense, but they are beautiful."
The stark, crisp whiteness of the paper actually serves to highlight that, too. Because it's so clean, the exaggerated form of the wig, as well as all its ornamentation, can be seen all the more clearly.
And, as seen here, they're fun for the whole family.
The result is a uniquely modernistic take on a historical fashion.
They seem to be fluffy and fantastical, yet sleek and stark at the same time.
She even created a paper shawl to go with one of the wigs!
In 2014, Asya stunned the world with her paper artwork when she created these full costumes, based on traditional Mongolian wedding attire, but with her own modern twist.
The gowns, headdresses, and accessories (except the shoes) were all entirely crafted from paper.
They call to mind both ancient traditions and sci-fi futurism. By using paper to recreate historically based fashions, Asya can cleverly combine past and present into one piece.
