The Eye-Popping Paper Art of André Santos

We’re always amazed by the level of detail and craftsmanship that goes into paper art – how paper artists employ simple, even banal, materials to create eye-popping designs. One such artist is André Santos of Estaminé Studio. His creations, both 2D and 3D, are all handcrafted, using intricate and colorful hand-cut pieces.

Born in Valongo, Portugal, Santos says he’s always drawn to artistic hobbies, especially ones related to handcraft. “I always liked handcrafting, but I didn’t know it was what I really wanted to do with my career until my Master’s Degree,” he shared in an interview with The Design Kids.

“The turning point was an MA project where Andrew Howard asked us to design several shop windows randomly assigned to the class… I spent dozens of hours hand-cutting many sheets of that kind of paper. Sure, It was a painful process but I found it quite pleasant and the handcrafted feel of the output was really nice.”

It was then that Santos says that he discovered a new approach to design. “I created a couple of pieces for two friends of mine but my first serious client was Paupério, a biscuit factory from Valongo that asked me to design a hand-cut paper piece for its main shop,” he recalled. “This happened in 2016 when I decided to found Estaminé Studio, with a focus on papercraft, illustration, and lettering. Step by step, I was developing my skills in these techniques and gathering a few clients.”

His hard work seems to have paid off, with other clients that include Barbearia Porto and Pilar Eventos. “It took me two years and a few personal projects to improve my papercraft portfolio to the point where I finally built up the courage to make a tough 2018 new year resolution: take on Estaminé as my full-time job,” he says. “Papercraft is the design field that fulfills me the most.”

Follow his papercraft journey on Instagram.