KUBO Shu Papercutting Museum

Paper cutting artist KUBO Shu

Depicting Japanese beauty through paper cutting with "pictorial" and "three-dimensional" expressions

KUBO Shu is one of Japan's leading paper cutting artists, who has developed a unique technique known as mixed media, incorporating materials such as pastels, acrylic paints, cloth, and sand, with a focus on "washi" paper, which embodies the spirit of Japan.
Since his death in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Nishinomiya, Kubo has been creating paper cutouts depicting the four seasons of Japan, exhibiting his work both in Japan and abroad. He beautifully captures the changing scenery of Japan's four seasons and the lively moments of seasonal ingredients, turning them into beautiful works. These express Kubo's own way of life, in which he learned freedom, strength, and kindness from the natural world. His attention to detail in expressing the colors he imagines, and his innovative yet precise compositions based on his architectural training are also highlights of his work.
Kubo's work has also been used on hometown stamps for the Tenjin Festival in Osaka. His work has also been used in the packaging designs of Suntory Beer (Premium Malt's) and Kyoto's famous confectionery Otabe. He has also traveled around the 47 prefectures of Japan, creating works that pursue Japanese beauty under the theme of "Japonisme Paper." His works, which he has created through his interactions with various places, are filled with a sense of nostalgia and move the hearts of people who see them overseas, too.