A tribute to Earth with a sentiment about caring for our precious earth, (symbolised by the hands), centred around our unique continent, Australia. Embedded in the central cyclic element is reference to renewal of materials and energy critical to our future. In this artwork, all these elements come together in one flowing, synthesis of motion with poignant symbolism and emotion. 
Formed from a variety of Australian, (Blue Lake Mills, Mt Gambier), and Asian handmade papers gives a variety of solidity, colour, texture and yet incredible delicacy, as seen in the tail feathers and swirling Monsoon clouds over the North-West of the continent. 
In private collection

Flowing Synthesis

I love the expressiveness of hands and use them here to metaphorically express the similarity between the challenges of our endeavours and the flow of rivers. Life is never a straight forward path. We reach forward but are faced with continual obstacles. To overcome them and reach our destination, we decide directions, learn what works and what doesn’t, try this way, then that way; reach for help or offer ours to others in turn. Persistence prevailing, incrementally we find our way. 
In private collection 
2022- Director’s Choice Prize ART FLUENT, Boston, "WITHIN" 
2018 Winner People's Choice Prize|National Works on Paper / MPRG 2017 Finalist Banyule Works on Paper

Endeavour’s Hands

A flowing pattern of floral forms made of elements inspired by Bird of Paradise feathers. Created as a peaceful decorative work in a monochrome of white cotton sculptured paper elements, the shapes of which are revealed only by natural light and shade. I come back to these energy flows in many of my abstract works because they carry the viewer into a pleasing sense motion with no start or finish. 
 
Created in Arches 250gsm hot pressed, French textured new cotton paper 
 
Corporate Commission for Crown, Melbourne

Floral Plumage

The Infinite Source” of all we do and achieve is an idea. 
Our ability to imagine is common to all humans and is boundless across all races. 
Beginning like a glowing seed in the head, its energy flows through our hands, combined with amorphous masses representing any kind of abstraction or matter, springs forever upward like a fountain.Woman nurturing family is in the middle of a driving cog, coloured them to emphasis they are the core of our existence. The faces-within-faces forms refer to other relationships with whom we inter-depend. The big cog, driving all we create is shown in context of my love of the paper industry, with swirling sheets of the material, references to electric motors, cutting mechanisms and other machinery. 
In private collection

Infinite Source

Symbolically, this work is based on the conspicuous decline of our Christmas Beetles. In the web of life, beetles are both important as plant pollinators and agents of the nutrient cycle at root level. Their curl grubs and wriggling pupae were once common in most backyards but are increasingly rare to find, hence bringing attention to an obvious interruption somewhere in their live cycle. The triangular frame signifies a pivot point, (also the algebraic symbol delta = change). Sculptured 30gsm handmade Kozo paper, Mulberry Tengushu with Hahnemuhle NOT and Arches hot pressed cotton sheet-formed papers. Coloured ink tinting. 
 
Selected artwork for Gallerium Art Prize " EXTINCTION: Save the Planet 2022" exhibition 
Mention Honorifique - Professional Artists Competition - Mondial Art Academia, France 2020

A Call to Change

In Melbourne’s inner-city heart are the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s a dominion of majestic ancient oaks, figs, conifers with other grand giants surrounded by a rich diversity of magnificent green nobility. Here, at one with nature, it’s a place of rest away from the pressures and stress of our daily lives where we can be in touch with our own inner self and belonging together. Animals too, inhabit the riches of this environment.  Ferdinand von Mueller, the garden’s first director, whose commemorative bust looks on would be proud of the treasures today filling these truly royal botanic gardens.  Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT,  Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from  Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources, some as light as 4gsm.

Green Dominion

A stroll in the Australian Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne Part 1/4. On entering The Red Sands Garden, the visitor is treated to a landscape design of colour and breathtaking view that is so like experiencing Australia’s Red Centre, A closer look reveals fan shaped Scaevola half-flowers and curious Lichen covered forms looking like branched abstract sculptures. 
Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax, and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources. 
 
Selected artwork for "Honoring the Earth Day 2022" international online exhibition, Diversia 2022, Exhibizone,Canada 
Finalist Stanthorpe Art Prize 2021 
Second Place - Botanicals Exhibition - The Art Room Contemporary Gallery 2019 / 
 Second Place - Botanicals Exhibition - LightSpaceTime Gallery Florida 2018.

The Red Sands Garden

A stroll in the Australian Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, part 2/4. In entering these gardens, a left turn on the pathway takes us northward past a magnificent Ironbark stand followed by Box and Peppermint Eucalypts, and the distinctive Scribbly Gums with their bark decorated by abstract washes, like paintings. A wonderous landscape of cycads and ferns that once dominated Gondwana in the Palaeozoic Era, 180 million years ago. Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from Awagami. 
 
Finalist Stanthorpe Art Prize 2021 
Gold Medal for Creativity - Professional Artists Competition - Mondial Art Academia, France 2018 
First Place - Nature Exhibition - LightSpaceTime Gallery Florida 2018.

The Path to Gondwana

A stroll in the Australian Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, Part 3/4. 
Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry)papers from Awagami (Japan). 
 
Merit Award -"Yellow" - Art online exhibition | Art Room Gallery | USA 2022 
Merit Award - Botanicals Competition / Grey Cube Gallery USA 2021 
Silver Medal - Professional Artists Competition - Mondial Art Academia 2019| France 
Second Place - Botanicals Exhibition - The Art Room Contemporary Gallery 2019

To Seaside

I often go to where I can be at one with nature.  Nothing grounds and calms me the same way.  More than ever in the recently stressed times I find myself needing to be surrounded by trees, flowers, birds, and the ever-present activities of small creatures like bees, butterflies, and dragonflies. I love to observe them, and their forms fascinate me. It inspired to create this piece in the pure natural shades of the handmade papers I use as my palette; papers made from fibres sourced from nature like the subject matter depicted. There’s an integral relationship between my medium and objects in the composition that helps preserve the connection with the natural world from which I draw such valuable peace and centering. We all need a little of tranquility.Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources.

Tranquility

As a lover of nature, but living in the city, I observe people’s gardens as I go for my exercise walks. They bring peace and tranquility apart from a serene balance to city living. One garden near my gallery caught my attention and inspired me with its magnificent, tall, smooth, white Lemon Scented Eucalypt. It reigns like a hand reaching triumphantly skyward, defending a mostly native garden, where amongst other things, stands a stout Grass Tree, Kangaroo Paws, Melaleuca and a single very attractive, Japanese Maple seems quite out of place. All created in special handmade papers, uniquely there are some actual Japanese Maple leaves embedded in the making of one of the papers. 
In private collection.

Beneath its Reign

The Ragianna Bird of Paradise, known for its most spectacular display feathers inspired this paper sculpture artwork, created in the “impressionist sculptured paper” signature style of the artist. 
Set on a Spicers background stock with a colour wash setting reminiscent of being high in a rainforest canopy. The colours chosen are symbolic of the Red for Japan, the land of the rising sun. Freelife® Felt White 215gsm provided the base the red art and Stephen TM Chilled White 250gsm that for the yellow art to proudly showcase Spicers’ products. The sculptures require handmade papers for their unilateral sculptural capabilities, stretch, unique textures and colours that make the “artist’s palette”. Most are 100% cotton, hemp, flax or mulberry papers from varying sources in Europe and Asia. The mulberry Koziyuki, Kozos and fine 8gsm Tengushu are from Japan. 
 
Corporate commission for Spicers, Japan.

Birds of a Feather #1

The Ragianna Bird of Paradise, known for its most spectacular display feathers inspired this paper sculpture artwork, created in the “impressionist sculptured paper” signature style of the artist. 
Set on a Spicers background stock with a colour wash setting reminiscent of being high in a rainforest canopy. The colours chosen are symbolic of the sun and marigold for sunny Australia. Freelife® Felt White 215gsm provided the base the red art and Stephen TM Chilled White 250gsm that for the yellow art to proudly showcase Spicers’ products. The sculptures require handmade papers for their unilateral sculptural capabilities, stretch, unique textures and colours that make the “artist’s palette”. Most are 100% cotton, hemp, flax or mulberry papers from varying sources in Europe and Asia. The mulberry Koziyuki, Kozos and fine 8gsm Tengushu are from Japan. Corporate commission for Spicers Australia. 
 
Merit Award, Yellow, Art Room Gallery, US '22 
Honourable Mention, Animals Show,Grey Cube '22

Bird of a Feather #2

In private collection 
 
Inspired by the beauty of white peacocks, reflected in the spray of exactly 100 tail feathers made from 30gsm translucent Kozo paper that transmits light when viewing in the real artwork.

White Peacock

Artwork 1, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Banksia

Artwork 2, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Kangaroo Paw

Artwork 3, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Waratah

Artwork 4, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Button Flowers

Artwork 5, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Golden Wattle

Artwork 6, part of art collection- Australian wildflowers in bold graphic abstraction. Created in sculptured Fabriano Mill. 
In private collection- Manhattan NY

Sturt's Desert Pea

Originally created for reproduction by Australian Geographic Magazine.The art depicts the life cycle of Australia's most recognized cicada Cyclochila australasiae, or as it is known by its common names, the Green Monday Cicada or the Greengrocer. Bronze Winner, Dimensional Awards, New York, USA. Entirely sculptured from Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould-made papers with a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo and Kozo (Mulberry) papers. Insect bodies are sculptured in calendared, hot-pressed stock to give the realistic shine.The bark is of varying thickness coloured Hemp and Flax papers on an amature of the sculptured cotton stocks creating the tree forms. The wings are of transparent Glassine Paper, as used in archival storage interleafing. Colours are mostly acrylic inks applied by airbrush.

Cicada Life Cycle

Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from  Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources, some as light as 4gsm.

Bark and Beetle

Wasps have always been my favourite insects, but the Spider Hunters, (Family: Pompilidae) in particular. Pompilids are known for succumbing Tarantulas in the Americas. They are solitary hunters often boasting beautifully bright orange or red warning bands, as here. This is Cryptocheilus species, about 4cm long in real life.  It hunts spiders under the bark of trees like this Eucalyptus on which it is pausing and basking momentarily. Sculptured from Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers to create the body core. Covered with a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers to create the textures. The bark is of coloured mulberry papers.  The individual body hairs are sliced from machine madepaper to take advantage of its directional grain strength, not a property of papers made by hand. The wings are of transparent Glassine Paper. The spider webs are the long Kozo fibres teased from the source paper. Colours are mostly acrylic inks applied by airbrush.

Spider Hunter Wasp

She looks somewhere downward with a distant gaze, her mouth slightly agape in despair. She seems to have shed so many tears it has left a trail from one eye, washing the fine film of dust on her cheek. She is in a world she did not choose as in so many native communities, who's cultural coherence and integrity is tearing down and vanishing beneath them, living in abject poverty. She has learned most to dread the threat of abuse. She is on the threshold so many of the original young ones, especially girls would experience: Torn between a life intolerable, and ending it, like some as young as twelve are doing. 
Arches 300gsm hot-pressed French cotton and German cold-pressed cotton papers, worked over in a variety of ink and dye tinted 30 gsm Japanese Kozo and Hemp papers, some as light as 4gsm, on the hair.- In private collection

Little Girl Torn

Paper sculpture Installation to commemorate Mother’s Day as a completely unique way to draw attention to the special quality of mother’s the world over.I created a form with wings and hearts to represent the love, nurturing, guidance and encouragement that to me are what mothers do, besides giving us birth.  It portrays the essence of mothers universally, which is another meaning of the heart symbol. The way the “mother’s” wings just enclose her “offspring” strongly projects the feeling of gentle protection while the young ones develop their life skills.

Mother's Heart Installation

Liane Foley, French Jazz singer & songwriter. I‘m inspired by music and the musicians. Jazz is one of my favourite genre, so, it was natural to create portrait tributes to a few of my favourites for my inaugural exhibition in the Caroussel du Louvre, Paris, in 2019. Created in my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style, which is named after my desire to capture life, expression and movement without sacrificing the obvious nature of the paper. It’s like painting three-dimensionally using paper as the medium to achieve the same life. Based on a foundation of Arches 300gsm hot-pressed French cotton and German cold-pressed cotton papers, worked over in a variety of ink and dye tinted Asian Mulberry and Hemp papers, some as light as 4gsm, on the hair. 
 
Honorable Mention, “Portrait” art exhibition, Art Room Gallery, 2022

Portrait of Liane Foley - French Jazz Vocalist

During a break in a live performance by Don Burrows, I approached him backstage to ask if he would kindly allow me reference poses from which to create his portrait. He humbly agreed. In 2019 the time was suitable to sculpt that piece in his honour. Sadly, since then he left our earthly presence. It left me so glad I produced this work commemorating who I think was Australia’s greatest ever woodwind jazz artist. Created in my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style, named so for my desire to capture life and expression, while clearly revealing the nature of the delicate papers.Based on a foundation of Arches 300gsm hot-pressed French cotton and German cold-pressed cotton papers, worked over in a variety of ink and dye tinted Asian Mulberry and Hemp papers, some as light as 4gsm, on the hair.

Portrait of Don Burrows - Australian Jazz Woodwind Legend

Anne Ducros is a French singer &, songwriter. Apart from nature I love portraiture and wanted to tackle this subject with the challenge of my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style. I‘m inspired by music and musical artists and of among my favourite genres is jazz. I was therefore, naturally attracted to create portrait tributes to a few of my favourite artists for my inaugural exhibition in the Caroussel du Louvre, Paris, in 2019. Based on a foundation of Arches 300gsm hot-pressed French cotton and German cold-pressed cotton papers, worked over in a variety of ink and dye tinted Asian Mulberry and Hemp papers, some as light as 4gsm, on the hair. 
 
Honorable Mention, “Portrait” art exhibition, Art Room Gallery, 2022 
Merit Award - "Faces Competition" - Grey Cube Gallery, USA 2021

Portrait of Anne Ducros - French Jazz Vocalist

Sven Libaek is a personal friend who inspired me since childhood. Jazz is one of my favourite genre. I listen to music continually as I work, so, it was natural to create portrait tributes to a few of my favourites for my inaugural exhibition in the Caroussel du Louvre, Paris, in 2019.Created in my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style, which is named after my desire to capture life, expression and movement without sacrificing the obvious nature of the paper. It’s like painting three-dimensionally using paper as the medium to achieve the same life. Based on a foundation of Arches 300gsm hot-pressed French cotton and German cold-pressed cotton papers, worked over in a variety of ink and dye tinted Asian Mulberry and Hemp papers, some as light as 4gsm, on the hair. 
 
Merit Award -"Faces Competition"- Grey Cube Gallery, USA 2021

Portrait of Sven Libaek - Australian-Norwegian Distinguished

The White Peacock is the name of the gown I designed and created for creative collaboration with an internationally recognized art photographer, Vicky Papas-Vergara. This image won the Gold Award at the Las Vegas Wppi awards, USA

White Peacock 1- Fine Art Print

High-level business dealing “Suits” in blue and grey represent two tycoons locked in an iron-clad handshake like hook and tow, firmly pinioned together in contract. Everything about them is cold steel polished and formal. The abstracted face-to-face heads in the background show stern, implacable, stoic dispositions. No place for soft-at-heart. 
A metaphor about dealing in the tough game of high stakes business. 
Study the piece up close you will see the fabric texture, and every thread of the sewn buttonholes. The steel looks like polished chromium, but it is entirely sculptured in paper, hand coloured with permanent inks. The background is hot pressed Arches of France 300gsm watercolour paper overlaid with 8gsm Japanese Tengushu. The hands are of mould-made hot-pressed calendared stocks of varying weights. The threads are created by fine slicing of paper strips.

Secure Handshake

Swan males are extremely protective of their clutch of Cygnates. It bears a touching symbolism and the focus was represent the bird in my “impressionist sculptured paper” styling capturing the movement and expression of readiness to defend itself and its brood. 
Hahnemuhle 300gsm German new cotton, Arches 250gsm French hot-pressed new cotton and Japanese handmade kozo (Mulberry) papers. 
 
In Private Collection

Swan – The Protector

Created on commission for Laurina Lodge, located in Heyfield, Victoria, AUS The artwork greets visitors as they enter the reception. The subject is a native shrub known Pincushion Hakea, Hakea laurina by its scientific name. H. laurina is characteristic for the bushland surrounding Heyfield. 
Created in a variety of archival mould-made cotton papers with Asian handmade stocks. The work even features ants tending nectar on the flowers, as is observed in nature. Colours are created with ink tints and washes.

Hakea laurina

A recent trip to India and a visit to the Kolkata Museum inspired this piece. The structures and textures of huge fossilized remains of long gone Ordovician marine creatures on display, called Nautiloids, fascinated and begged me to create an abstract from my impression. 
Formed from a variety of German mould-made and Asian handmade papers based on various plant fibres to give the organic textures and natural colours. 
Framed in raw Tasmanian Oak hardwood finished with beeswax and acrylic glazing. 
In private collection.

Ancient Origins

A private tribute to a gentleman named Peter based upon the ancient Druid myth of the Green Man with fragmented memories of this departed loved one, a great vigneron and lover of nature. The background bears a splattering resembling his beloved red wine.Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources, some as light as 4gsm. Background tinting with acrylic inks. 
 
In private collection

Dionysian Green Man

Symbolic of a couple romantically spiralling upward in a flight of euphoric passion. The eagle represents the masculine and the hummingbird, the feminine. The swirling vortex suggests the rising, rotational motion of the bird’s rapturous arial dance. The backing is convex to have no visible corners, enhancing the illusion of being suspended in flight. Designed to fit a specially built niche commemorating the client’s first – paper – anniversary, situated right in the front entrance of their home. 
Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton, hot-pressed, mould-made papers for the body armatures with a variety of handmade, fine weighted, mulberry papers for the many hundred individually sculptured feathers. The eyes are layered with the top formed of 4gsm Kozo tissue, treated with methylcellulose to give almost glass-like transparency and life. The swirls are from a stiff 70gsm transparent, wood fibre stock. 
In private collection.

Rapturous Ascent

Dancing Brolgas is one of the paper sculptures along with Crocodile with Barramundi and Frilled Lizard, a corporate commission for the Northern Territory Government, Australia in 2001, contributing to the spectacle of the ‘Journey of a Nation’ Federation parade. This event and sculptures were also featured on TV as one of the major events. 
 
The sculpture took six months of full-time work to complete and incorporates the equivalent of more than 15,000 sheets of A4 paper. Each form started as a flat cut-out which, once wet, was hand-moulded into the final shape. 
 
All my work is formed from sheet papers. The shape of each piece of flat paper must be exactly determined before it is sculpted and assembled into the body of the final dimensional sculpture. The result is what gives the work its uniquely faceted, unmistakably paper look.

Dancing Brolgas

Frilled Lizard is one of the paper sculptures along with Crocodile with Barramundi and Dancing Brolgas, a corporate commission for the Northern Territory Government, Australia in 2001, contributing to the spectacle of the ‘Journey of a Nation’ Federation parade. This event and sculptures were also featured on TV as one of the major events. 
The sculpture took six months of full-time work to complete and incorporates the equivalent of more than 15,000 sheets of A4 paper. Each form started as a flat cut-out which, once wet, was hand-moulded into the final shape. 
All my work is formed from sheet papers. The shape of each piece of flat paper must be exactly determined before it is sculpted and assembled into the body of the final dimensional sculpture. The result is what gives the work its uniquely faceted, unmistakably paper look.

Frilled Lizard- Public Installation

Be inspired by artworks created in the natural beauty of one of humanity's oldest and most enduring mediums. 

All of what you discover here is sculptured by the artist from sheet-formed papers sourced from Europe and Asia.

All artworks are framed in deep box frames, with acrylic glazing, 5 sided acrylic boxes so that the art can be viewed from all sides or built into a wall recess. Very large works are free standing or ceiling suspended. 

Private and corporate commissions welcome.


About Ray Besserdin
32-year career, recognised internationally with 35 awards to date, including two gold from New York, and “Gold Medal for Creativity” from Mondial Art Acadamie, France.  Born to artist parents, entirely self-taught techniques of sculpturing dimensionally with only sheet-formed papers, much like bas-relief. Papers are mostly handmade cotton and mulberry stocks from Europe and Asia. Works range from miniature to over 6 by 3.8 metres, and abstract to ultra-realistic. Inspired mostly by painters of the French Impressionist Period and developed a technique to achieve expressiveness using torn papers build up three-dimensionally, where they used paint two dimensionally. Whilst his works can be abstract to figurative ultra-realism, he calls his signature style “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” for its use of torn, raw pieces arranged to form the subject matter.  While likeness is important, the focus is to capture emotion, life, and expression over realism, yet always revealing the character of the papers from which the subjects are sculptured. Nature is his favourite subject matter. Works hang in private and corporate collections in London, Munich, Manhattan, Tokyo, New Zealand and throughout Australia.  

Ray is Australian Ambassador for Mondial Art Academia, France.

Ray Besserdin Paper Sculpture Artist - Selected Works