For her Tissue Series, artist Lisa Nilsson constructs anatomical cross sections of the human body using rolled pieces of Japanese mulberry paper, a technique known as quilling or paper filigree. Each piece takes several weeks to assemble and begins with an actual photograph of a lateral or mid-sagittal cross section to which she begins pinning small rolls of paper. Depending on its function she rolls the paper on almost anything small and cylindrical including pins, needles, dowels, and drill bits (she even attempted using some of her husband’s 8mm film editing equipment but to no avail). Lastly she even builds the wooden boxes containing the cross-sections by hand. A graduate of RISD, Nilsson now lives and works in Massachusetts and you can learn more about her process in this pair of interviews on All Things Paper and ArtSake.

I want to thank both Lisa and photographer John Polak for providing the imagery late last night for this post. I can say with confidence that these pieces are among the most incredible artworks I’ve had the opportunity of sharing with you here on Colossal. (via laughing squid, and also thnx sarah!)

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