According to Japanese paper artist Ayumi Shibata, in the Shinto religion, white paper is considered sacred. Therefore, her magical, multi-layered creations are considered by the artist to be prayers to the Kami spirits who dwell in the paper.
“Invisible ‘Kami’ spirits dwell in various objects and events, places, as well as in our houses and in our bodies. I use my technique to express my thankfulness to the Kami spirits for having been born in this life. The light represents spirit and life, how the sun rises and breathes life into the world. I believe my pieces are a place to observe the material world and the visible one.”
– Ayumi Shibata
Shibata’s works range from tiny cities that can be held in the hand to life-size landscapes that can be walked through. Whatever the scale, the way light passes through and around her paper art is what makes it feel alive and magical.
You can see all of Ayumi Shibata’s magnificent paper creations on her website and on Instagram.
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My OBT 
March 11, 2022 at 9:43 am
Oh my goodness….these are breath taking beautiful . the ones in the glass”jars” are my faves.
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March 11, 2022 at 5:21 pm
Those are so special! I would never have thought to do that with paper.
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March 11, 2022 at 10:11 am
I would love to watch a video on how she does it. All of them are beautiful. I don’t know about the religious background but regardless, any one of them would be welcome in my house. Hal
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March 11, 2022 at 5:25 pm
A video would be cool!
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March 12, 2022 at 9:14 am
Wowzer! These are so skillfully crafted and the effect is so enchanting that I want to walk through the little scenes and experience the magic.
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March 13, 2022 at 9:00 pm
I felt the same! Talk about photo opportunities…
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