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

Ray Besserdin

Little Girl Torn

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

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

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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.


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- Available Works

Magazine Living Room

Ray Besserdin

collection: Portraiture

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