This Artist Makes Unusual Sculptures Out Of Cardboard

New York City-based American artist Warren King creates wonderfully expressive, life-size human figures of the inhabitants of the village of Shaoxing in China, where his grandparents are from, out of cardboard. Although some may consider it a lowly material, he describes how cardboard is longer-lasting and offers greater possibilities than one may think.

Tell me about your experimentations with color and what new dimension they bring to your art.

With most of my figures, if you look at them from behind, you find that they are hollow shells with very little structure or mass. I like the idea that they are just a surface, like a skin made of paper. So it was very natural to begin thinking about the paper surface as something that I could use to convey further ideas. In many of my recent works, I reference historical characters and stories, so with those pieces, I used a dark reddish-brown coloring that recalls beautiful Chinese lacquerware that you see in museums. Using an aged and worn appearance is a method that I use to connect modern experiences and ideas to the past. Similarly, I’ve begun using graphic elements in the form of cutout paper images glued onto the surface of the cardboard to bring another dimension to the pieces. Inspired by lush and intricate scenes portrayed on lacquerware and carved wooden panels, as well as patterns adorning robes worn by royalty, I use the paper cutouts to tell stories important to me. Some are quite personal. I recently made a figure of the Kitchen God, or the God of the Hearth. But to connect this traditional figure to my contemporary experience, I patterned his robe with images from my childhood, of my brothers and I laboring to make blueprints to help my father’s business. Cardboard, being a sculptural material as well as a flat paper surface, seems uniquely suited for this type of storytelling.

Cardboard is not as durable as a canvas, so how do you intend for your artworks to stay in pristine condition over time?

It’s true that cardboard won’t last as long as stone or metal, but its durability is generally underrated. When I started, I used common cardboard from old boxes, but what I found is that there is a huge range in quality. So then I switched to non-recycled material, which made a big difference. Nowadays, I use museum-quality board, which is acid-free and very strong. On top of that, I coat the finished pieces with an invisible varnish, so I think they should last for quite a while… as long as no one leaves them outside in the rain or sits on them!

I saw that you’ve also made works of a lion, rooster, crab and masks. Will you make other creatures besides humans, or will your focus be more on people?

I love making masks and animals, as well as various inanimate objects, and I’ll make them every so often to try out new techniques, if I’m feeling creatively blocked or just for fun. During Halloween, I usually make one or two masks to scare the kids. But I don’t yet foresee a time when I’ll get tired of making human figures. The range of emotions and stories that can be conveyed is limitless, and I’ve barely just started. But I think the main reason is that, for me, nothing else is nearly as challenging. I made a lizard mask a few years ago, and even though I took some liberties, it looked adequately like a lizard. But to me it didn’t really “feel” like a lizard. But who really cares? There’s far less leniency when you make human figures. If something is off, anyone can sense it. And a millimeter of adjustment can change the whole expression. I’ll continue to explore various subject matters and incorporate different elements, but not because I’m done with human figures. There’s so much more to learn.

What are some of your recent projects?

One series is inspired by beautiful and ornate carved Buddhist idols. I love the extensive range of iconography used in those pieces, and how they’re used to carry forward important religious stories. I’m using a similar approach to talk about the migration to the West of many people in my grandparents’ generation. The second series is based on familiar portraits of Chinese royalty. I’m drawn to the intricacy and formality of those paintings, and use those works to explore my own relationship with my grandparents. I’ve made several giants before, and I really enjoy the whole process. The size and presence allow me to work on some different themes, and the engineering challenge is something I enjoy as well.