Looking for something?

Tap outside or press close

Paper Painting: Artist creates incredible paper collages that look like oil paintings

When you first glance at the work of Polish artist Albin Talik you'd naturally assume that they're oil paintings. In actual fact, they're incredible paper collages, crafted using a technique he likes to call 'Paper Painting'. Taking thousands of pieces of cut paper in a whole array of colours, he arranges them and glues them to a canvas, trying to mimic the effect of irregular brushstrokes. Each piece can take up to a month to complete, depending on the degree of complexity.

Written By:
Multiple figures in yellow dresses stand beneath a suspended tent pole against a textured background of blue, orange and grey in Albin Talik's paper collage artwork

He started out creating portraits of family and friends, but he's now working on a series called Rumination. He said: "Rumination is similar to worry except it focuses on bad feelings and experiences from the past. I try to show a man struggling with their weaknesses, loneliness, alcohol, stimulants, the man who meditates on the meaning of existence. The heroes of my paintings often wear masks. They are a symbol of thought, passing through life. In my work I try to encourage the viewer to think about what is really important in life."

Another ongoing series is called Pyramids. He added: "The heroes of these paintings are in the ordinary moments of life. We have a potter, librarian, seller, traveller, painter... The basic element of these paintings is a pyramid head. White and black. In each of us there are good emotions and bad emotions, good and evil. I try to show that we are all somewhat alike. We are all humans. It depends on us what we do with our lives. What path we choose. When I was studying painting, my teacher forbade me to use black and white paint. This series is my rebound on those prohibitions."

Based in Cracow, Albin was a rock musician before he set up his own recording studio to produce music for various projects including games, theatre productions and animations. He also creates illustrations for animated videos. Turning to visual arts at the age of 30, he originally experimented with pencils and tried to draw, but after taking painting lessons he discovered paper collaging and has never looked back. Discover more at www.albintalik.com.

Via BoredPanda

Three figures in red clothing stand beneath a towering red ferris wheel against a blue textured background, from Albin Talik's Paper Painting series
Figure with orange hair and blue skin holding a paper boat, gazing at a blue spiral against a cosmic background with a yellow moon, paper collage by Albin Talik
Grey-skinned figure with outstretched arms and a white pyramid-shaped head standing against a collage of coloured paper fragments and black shapes
Five figures with pointed pyramid heads in shades of purple play volleyball on a textured ground against a warm, abstract background, from Albin Talik's paper collage series
Two stylised figures with pyramid-shaped heads in black and white play wooden cellos against a textured blue-green background, created as a paper collage by Albin Talik
Two figures with pyramid heads holding a fishing line beneath a yellow sun in a vibrant autumn landscape, created from thousands of coloured paper pieces by Albin Talik
Colourful paper collage by Albin Talik depicting various people engaged in everyday activities including cycling, fishing, swimming and exercising across horizontally striped coloured sections
A figure with a white pyramid-shaped head wearing a red jacket leans forward to paint a red wall with a brush, whilst a blue sphere sits on the ground below
Albin Talik's paper collage featuring three figures in green coats with black pyramid heads connected by wires, walking along an orange path lined with yellow circles against a textured background
Three stylised figures with white pyramid-shaped heads wearing red clothing stand against a cosmic red backdrop with a patterned golden lower section, connected by curved white lines in Albin Talik's paper collage technique
Seven figures with green pyramid-shaped heads and blue bodies stand on a wooden plank, suspended by white strings against a textured, multicoloured background in Albin Talik's paper collage artwork
Paper collage artwork by Albin Talik depicting a figure in a blue jacket with striped face and mask sitting at a table with a wine glass against a textured blue background
Abstract paper collage showing figures with pyramid-shaped heads connected by white lines against a blue and red gradient background, from Albin Talik's Rumination series
Figure with geometric pyramid head in orange shirt riding skateboard against blue mosaic background with moon, created from thousands of coloured paper pieces by Albin Talik
Vibrant paper collage showing figures engaged in various activities including swimming, cycling, playing sports and travelling, with a tree, buildings and transport amid colourful layered paper sections
Five wooden figures with black pyramid heads wearing green lower halves stand against a colourful abstract paper collage background in Albin Talik's Paper Painting artwork
Person wearing blue shirt and orange shorts with reddish-brown hair obscured by horizontal white lines in Albin Talik's paper collage artwork
Albin Talik's paper collage showing rows of figures with pyramid-shaped heads in orange and white tones surrounding a dark oval void, set against a textured blue and green background with colourful foliage above
Row of figures in blue shirts with white pyramid-shaped heads standing against a textured background of rust and yellow tones in Albin Talik's paper collage artwork
Share