Peter Gentenaar, a paper artist based in the Netherlands, creates ethereal, large-scale sculptures of organic shapes that float in mid-air as they hang from the ceilings. Some look like aquatic plant life while others resemble the qualities of bright, delicate spring flowers. Gentenaar’s craft evolved from his love for paper, a passion he acquired from the many years he spent working in a printmaking shop. His unusual, stunning work defies conventional thinking regarding paper’s colloquial, everyday use.
With the help of a friend from the Royal Dutch Paper Factory, Gentenaar learned to handcraft his own paper in order to create these projects. His sculptures start off as two-dimensional colored sheets of pulp; the waves and textures are caused by pulp drying and shrinking in unison. The simple and natural drying process develops, through time, the pieces’ unique colors, textures and forms; these characteristics, ultimately, lead the final outcome to resemble naturally-ocurring forms.
Abbey of St.Riquier, Somme, France
Abbey of St.Riquier, Somme, France
Abbey of St.Riquier, Somme, France
Boomvrouw, Cythologisch lab, Leiden, NL
