Handcrafted Worlds: Layered Papercut Art by Owen Gildersleeve

UK-based artist and designer Owen Gildersleeve has spent more than 15 years pushing the possibilities of paper, transforming simple sheets of card into layered illustrations filled with depth, texture and light. We first featured Owen back in 2018, and his practice has since expanded into book covers, record sleeves and gallery pieces.

His expansive portfolio spans personal explorations and commercial commissions, where vivid kaleidoscopic portraits, abstract geometric compositions and delicately layered landscapes sit alongside striking film posters, album artwork, editorial illustrations and book covers. Every piece is crafted through the same meticulous process, with stacked layers casting subtle shadows that become as important as the paper itself, giving otherwise flat graphics a remarkable sense of dimension and atmosphere.

Over the years, his distinctive approach has attracted collaborations with clients including Apple, BAFTA, LUSH Cosmetics, Penguin Books and NASA, while his work has been exhibited internationally in cities such as London, Tokyo, New York and San Francisco. You can see more of Owen’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram.

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