Kate's papercuts are inspired by the villages and rural landscapes around her, as well as capturing moments of everyday life. Each papercut is produced as an original piece, cut from just one piece of paper using a scalpel or sharp scissors.
Kate Faircliffe was born in Norfolk and regularly spent childhood holidays in Southwold and on the North Norfolk coast. After completing a B.Ed Honours in history at Cambridge, she moved to Japan where she lived and taught for four years, enjoying the opportunity this gave her to travel widely in South East Asia. The art and culture of Japan remains a great interest of hers today.
In 2018 Kate discovered a new passion for papercutting and it is one she has been developing and exploring ever since. 'As soon as I put scalpel to paper and began to craft the precise lines and shapes to depict a scene, I was addicted.'
Interested in both Japan's long tradition of kirigami (literally meaning 'to cut' and 'paper'), and the craft of wycinanki from Poland, where papercutting has been a popular folk art since the 1900s, Kate initially explored the creation of pieces depicting trees and meadows, in which symmetry plays an important part. Starting with designs made from just one piece of paper, and thus of one colour, she has gone on to gradually explore different methods and styles of her own, now often adding intricate layers of colour. More recently, Kate has enjoyed producing bespoke commissions, marking significant occasions or memories. 'I love to be able to reflect special moments or places for people in a piece that is unique just for them. The collaboration that it involves, in choosing moments, layout and colour is really satisfying.'
