Helen Ward is a Bristol based designer and maker. Having graduated from UWE Bristol in 2001 with a graphic design degree, Helen Ward started working as a paper engineer making pop-up books whilst training as a traditional bookbinder. Nowadays, Helen works from her little studio, armed with a scalpel and a very large stack of paper!

 

The original idea for the Paper Entomology artwork comes from a collection of Victorian hand marbled paper that Helen acquired during her time working at a bindery. Some of the patterns in the papers reminded her of butterfly wings – and so the idea of paper entomology began…

Helen started exhibiting her work in 2008 and has since exhibited her work at a number of venues across the UK, as well as taking part in several international shows in places such as Paris, Amsterdam, New York and Hong Kong.

 

“I will never get bored of cutting these intricate pieces as their patterns are all so beautiful! I am so happy to give this paper a new lease of life, rather than allowing it to sit in a drawer never to be seen again. I feel so fortunate to have such amazing examples of traditional craftsmanship and it’s brilliant to be able to share them in this way.”
 
All Helen’s framing uses conservation grade glass and acid-free mountings to keep the vibrant colours on the paper looking as fresh as the day they were made!