There’s a quiet power in encountering one of Josh Gluckstein’s sculptures. Life-size and demanding attention, his cardboard animals feel less like objects and more like encounters— moments of pause that invite reflection. Working exclusively with recycled cardboard, the London-based artist has developed a distinctive practice that blends craft, conservation, and storytelling.
Gluckstein’s fascination with animals began early, shaped by countless visits to London’s Natural History Museum and a deep curiosity about the natural world. That interest expanded through travel, where close encounters with wildlife, from elephants to marine life, cemented his desire to create work that speaks to our relationship with nature. Originally trained as a painter, he shifted to sculpture organically during the pandemic, when limited access to traditional materials led him to experiment with cardboard. What began as a necessity soon became his defining medium.
Finding a voice in cardboard
Since 2021, Gluckstein has worked exclusively with recycled cardboard, embracing its imperfections and history as part of the narrative. Every sculpture is zero-waste, constructed from layered sheets that create surprising depth, texture, and color variation. The corrugated cardboard turns into skin, shell, or fur as the creases and color changes add character and emotion. His animals, often shown at true scale, feel both fragile and monumental, echoing the precarious balance of the ecosystems they represent.
Every sculpture is zero-waste, constructed from layered sheets that create surprising depth, texture, and color variation. The corrugated cardboard turns into skin, shell, or fur as the creases and color changes add character and emotion.
Among his most ambitious works is Reef, an immersive installation that brings together turtles, coral, and schools of fish in a sprawling underwater environment. Pieces like this demonstrate Gluckstein’s ability to move beyond individual forms and create entire habitats, using humble materials to explore biodiversity and loss. Elsewhere, his focus on endangered and trafficked species underscores the urgency behind the beauty, turning sculpture into a quiet form of activism.
At its core, Gluckstein’s work is about connection. By transforming discarded cardboard into powerful representations of wildlife, he asks viewers to reconsider both what we value and what we waste. His sculptures don’t just depict animals — they stand as reminders of responsibility, resilience, and the fragile wonder of the natural world. Follow the artist on Instagram for further inspiration.
Images © Josh Gluckstein