Dionne Wood’s paper chandeliers evoke happiness and wonder.
By Carolyn Enting
More than 600 hours went into making each of these magnificent Wild Paper chandeliers created by Auckland paper sculpture artist Dionne Wood.
An osteopath, Wood has spent most of her career gently manipulating her patients’ bodies for the better, and it turns out she has an affinity for working with paper too. Her colourful floral fantasies, which range from chandeliers to bedside lamps, are truly unique, otherworldly and jungle-esque.
Self-taught, Wood took to paper art after her mother gave her a book on paper flowers. Initially she found working with paper fiddly and annoying but somewhere in the middle she got hooked.
Designed to evoke happiness, Wood’s creations also serve to satisfy our subconscious need to stay connected to nature, by bringing the outside indoors and reminding us of that connection. “As urban growth continues to encroach upon the natural world, we risk severing that most base connection with the world around us,” says Wood.
Using high quality card stock, beads, artist lacquer, UV spray and floral supplies, Wood spends hours scoring, cutting, folding, painting and threading her wildly wonderful whimsical flowers and foliage into magical masterpieces that wouldn’t look out of place hanging in the fabled gardens of Babylon – true wonders indeed.
