Among the many techniques used in art is "quilling," a technique in which a single piece is completed by assembling numerous rolled-up pieces of thin paper. It's said to have been invented by Renaissance monks and later developed by aristocratic women in the 19th century. Massachusetts-born artist Lisa Nilsson continues to create works in an unexpected way, using Japanese washi paper in conjunction with this quilling technique.

Her masterpiece, "Tissues," is a series aptly named "breathtaking," depicting human anatomy using quilled Japanese washi paper. Human organs and tissues are depicted using rolled-up pieces of washi paper, tightly packed within the frame, creating a work that exudes both grotesqueness and beauty. Lisa says that hand-dyed washi paper, available in a wide variety of colors, was perfect for the project. She also likes the fact that it's easy to handle like fabric and allows for a dense finish. One day, when she came across some antique quilling pieces at a thrift shop, she thought it might be interesting to combine the materials and techniques she had used in a previous project called "Boxes" with quilling.

Through this series, Lisa aimed to combine the sensual pleasure and graphic strength of artwork by dealing with the theme of the human body, to express a detailed approach to scientific specimens, and the awe-inspiring and devout nature of reliquaries.

More recently, she has launched a series called the "Tapis Series," in which she expresses carpet patterns using quilling on Japanese paper, which also offers a different appeal from "Tissues." Her works are sold and available for purchase at PAVEL ZOUBOK GALLERY in New York.

*This article has been translated and written with permission from (Source: http://lisanilssonart.com/home.html).