RICHARD SWEENEY

 

THE SCULPTURE ARTIST

Richard Sweeney is an English paper sculpture artist whose work I find super inspiring. He doesn’t use anything fancy — literally just paper — but the way he folds and pleats it turns into these really complex, almost architectural forms that feel alive. What I love most is that his process is very experimentative and intuitive, which means the outcome is always a bit unpredictable, and that’s exactly what makes it so beautiful. His main inspiration comes from nature — like clouds, flowing water, or birds — and you can really feel that organic movement in his sculptures.

WHY I CHOSE HIM?

I chose Richard Sweeney as my inspiration for this collection because I knew I wanted to do something more experimentative for my final work. I’ve never based a project on sculpture or architecture before, so it felt like the right time to explore that space — and when I discovered Richard Sweeney, it just clicked. I love how he uses something as simple and mundane as paper, and through repetition and folding, transforms it into something incredibly intricate and full of life. His work captures movement, texture, and emotion, all through form — and the fact that he draws so much inspiration from nature makes it even more poetic to me. I’m really drawn to that idea of turning something plain into something profound, and his process and aesthetic resonated with how I see myself and how I want to approach my work. That’s why I felt like he was the perfect source of inspiration.

HIS ART WORKS

PAPER SCULPTURES

THE CREATURES BEHIND THE COLLECTION

Most of Richard Sweeney’s artworks are inspired by natural elements like streams of water, cloud formations, and especially the flight of birds and swans. Even though he explores a variety of forms, I feel like his most significant and captivating works are the ones that reflect the grace, structure, and movement of wings. That’s why I decided to focus my collection on birds too — but for me, it wasn’t just swans. I was drawn to swans, ravens, and crows specifically, because I feel like those creatures represent my personality better. There’s a contrast in them — swans are graceful but intense, ravens and crows are dark, mysterious, and intelligent. That blend of softness and edge, elegance and unpredictability — it just made sense for what I wanted to express through my designs.

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