artist spotlight

Sculpting the Sheets: How London Artist Nathan Ward Redefines Paper Art

Enjoy a look at the range of diverse figures and installations that London paper artist Nathan Ward is creating. In the handful of years since completing studies in Art and Design and his BA in Illustration Animation, Nathan has garnered a strong reputation for producing eye-catching displays for a number of high profile clients... Google, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Hermès, to name just a few.

 

A vibrant, low-poly paper sculpture of a parrot with an orange body, yellow wings, and a red head, perched amidst a lush background of green and teal tropical paper leaves. 

 

Retail and Brand Displays

 

 

For the 2024 Retail Visual Merchandising and Display Show in London, Nathan created striking low-poly parrots and tropical foliage for an Antalis show stand. Antalis is a distributor specializing in office papers, signage, and packaging, and Nathan's work perfectly highlighted the versatility of their materials.

 

He uses a Graphtec digital cutter plotter to bring these intricate ideas to life. Often, freelance assistants are needed to help with large-scale installations. A quick look at his Instagram grid reveals a rapidly growing number of projects, proving why a reliable team is vital for his success.

 

A large-scale, geometric paper sculpture of a lion’s head with a flowing, spiky mane, mounted against a rustic red brick wall. 

 

Celebrating Craftsmanship

 

 

To celebrate 180 years of traditional craftsmanship for the luxury bookbinder Leathersmith of London, Nathan was commissioned to recreate their iconic lion emblem.

 

A close-up of the lion sculpture highlighting the intricate, triangular facets of the low-poly design and the subtle, leather-like embossed texture of the cream-colored paper. 

 

In a clever nod to Leathersmith's luxury leather stationery and accessories, Nathan utilized Morocco embossed papers from the English manufacturer G F Smith to mimic a leather-like texture.

 

 A perspective view of a large installation featuring hundreds of paper discs in varying shades of green, arranged in a grid-like pattern to create a textured photo backdrop.


He worked with G F Smith's Colorplan papers to create a massive photo backdrop for Deloitte's Analyst Induction Programme 2025, featuring more than six hundred discs in the brand's colors.
 
 
Weatherproof Wonders and Sacred Spaces 
 
 
An outdoor garden walkway under a metal trellis archway, with delicate white paper wisteria vines hanging from the structure amongst real green foliage. 
 
Nathan's creativity isn't limited to the indoors. For The White Company's outdoor scent experience, he designed and created delicate wisteria. Because the event was outside, he utilized Tyvek, a polyethylene material that looks like paper but is durable enough to withstand rain. 
 
 A close-up of a single hanging vine of white paper wisteria, showing the individual, layered petals and leaves against a solid black background.
  
Beyond commercial work, Nathan is a dedicated educator, leading workshops and giving practice-based talks to students. He has even won several industry awards and served as a TV judge on Channel 4's Kirstie's Handmade Christmas.
 

 

A life-size, minimalist paper nativity scene featuring white, geometric figures of the Holy Family and onlookers, illuminated in the historic, dimly lit Petworth House Chapel.


"Some of my favourite projects are the ones I've had the pleasure of creating for The National Trust, especially during Christmas when the public happily visits beautifully decorated houses. I find these moments truly heartwarming because they're all about bringing joy to visitors and celebrating artistry, which is a lovely contrast to much of the work I create for brands and marketing where the objective is to sell." 

 

One example, a life-size nativity scene for which he used 270 gsm Colorplan Bright White paper to create serene, ethereal figures. It was displayed in Petworth House Chapel in West Sussex throughout the 2024 Christmas season. 

 

 

A large cone-shaped installation of thousands of mixed color paper rectangles suspended from the ceiling of The Ned hotel lobby.

 

One of his most challenging projects to date was the confetti installation he designed and installed for The Ned hotel in London. "It was on display for a month and was put up overnight by a team of twelve. We had to have it ready before the guests came down for breakfast to keep the magic." 

 

Also, "There were many logistical considerations for this project. For example, every piece of paper used in the installation (more than 32,000!) needed to be treated with a fire-retardant. It's probably the most painstaking install I've led."



 A Milestone Commission

 

 

Nathan Ward

  

 

Last summer, Nathan was commissioned to create a 40th anniversary sculpture for New Designers, the premier UK design showcase. Once again, he turned to G F Smith papers to create a stunning, large-scale blue sculpture that served as a centerpiece for the event. 

 

What's Ahead 

 

 

Nathan is excited about upcoming commissions this spring, along with a couple of self-initiated projects that are currently underway. Meanwhile, you can see a diverse selection of past projects and processes in his Showreel at thisisnathanward.com, and follow along for the latest glimpses via Instagram where he is @thisisnathanward. 

 

 

Further Reading:  

Nathan Ward: From Sheets to Showpieces 

and 

Paper Sculpture Artist Nathan Ward to Unveil a Site-Specific Work at New Designers' 40th Anniversary Edition.


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