Evolve

Introduction

For this project, I wanted to explore the deeper meaning behind paper as a material—how something so simple, lightweight, and often thrown away can be transformed into something full of life and meaning. I decided to use old magazine pages, wire, and other recycled materials to create a paper sculpture that reflects both my values of upcycling and my personal journey of growth and evolution.

My idea started with sketches and planning. I knew I wanted to symbolize change and evolve, so I used the heart shape to represent life, emotion, and continuous transformation. I cut strips of old magazine paper, wrapped them around wire circles, and slowly built up a layered form that felt alive. I added red string for connection and old keys to symbolize unlocking new stages of growth.

This sculpture is not only about form—it's about how paper evolves with each fold, wrap, and layer. Like us, it can take on new meaning when given attention and care. Working with these materials reminded me how even the most everyday objects, like magazine pages or cardboard, can hold power when given a purpose.

It’s been such a rewarding process, and seeing my finished sculpture through lighting and photography really brought it to life—it felt like it was breathing. This project means a lot to me, and I’m excited to share how paper, wire, and imagination can come together to tell a story of growth and creativity.

Magazine paper

Red yarn strings

Wires

Keys

Graphite

Acrylic paint

Step1: Sketching and Planning First, I began by sketching out ideas for my paper sculpture. I wanted to use materials like old magazines and used wires to reflect the concept of recycling. After exploring several sketches, I decided to create a sculpture using these recycled materials to represent growth and evolution. I chose the heart shape as a symbolic element—not only to express my theme of transformation from old to new, but also to reflect my personal journey of learning, growing, and continuing to move forward in life.

Step2: Start Making! I pulled out old magazine, book pages and cut them into strips. Then, I shaped the wires into circles and wrapped the paper strips around them to create layered textures. After making several circles in different sizes, I began assembling them by gluing and connecting the pieces with more magazine strips, gradually building the structure of my sculpture.

Step 3: Weaving and Stringing Keys At this stage, I realized it was time to start incorporating the red string into my sculpture. I began tying and gluing the string onto different parts of the piece, adding layers of texture and flow. I also attached a few old keys I found at home by threading them onto the string. Then, I carefully wove the string through the circular wire forms to create a sense of connection, movement, and meaning throughout the sculpture.

Step 4: Lighting! I wanted to photograph my sculpture in the studio, so I brought it in and carefully set up both the lighting and the piece itself. I experimented with different angles and lighting positions to see how it would affect the sculpture’s mood and form. After some adjustments, the final result turned out to be really visually appealing to me. The lighting brought the sculpture to life—it created a warm, pulsing atmosphere that felt like a beating heart. The red string added tension and energy, while the hanging keys inside gave the piece a sense of hidden meaning and movement.

Step 5: Evolve! After photographing my sculpture from different angles and lighting setups, I selected the images that stood out the most to me—ones where the light, shape, and textures truly brought the piece to life. I curated these images into a small collection to showcase the different perspectives of my work.

Seeing the final results all together gave me a really emotional moment. It felt like the sculpture was vibrating, like it had truly evolved beyond just paper and wire. The heart shape, the woven string, the old keys—they all came together to tell a story of transformation. It reminded me of how growth can come from recycled or forgotten things, just like how we grow through our own past experiences.

This whole process—from sketching to building to lighting—became a reflection of my personal journey: learning, growing, and evolving with each step forward.