Paper is often celebrated for its versatility, but few artists have explored its possibilities as thoroughly, or as playfully, as Scottish paper artist Charles Young. Best known for his ambitious Paperholm project, Young has spent years transforming simple sheets of paper into an extraordinary world of miniature architecture, animated structures, and imagined landscapes that blur the boundaries between sculpture, illustration, engineering, and storytelling. All crafted from little more than paper, glue, and an exceptional imagination. For paper enthusiasts, Young’s work is a compelling reminder that even the simplest materials can be used to construct entire worlds.
Trained as an architect, Young approaches paper with the precision of a designer and the curiosity of a sculptor
His work draws inspiration from architecture, industrial structures, vernacular buildings, and the everyday built environment, translating familiar forms into intricate hand-crafted paper models. Unlike many paper artists who rely on a variety of materials and finishes, Young deliberately limits his palette. Throughout the Paperholm project, every structure was made using the same basic combination of watercolour paper and glue. By working within these self-imposed constraints, he continually pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved with a single material.
The resulting works are remarkable not only for their detail but also for their sense of possibility. Windmills turn, lifts rise and fall, carousels spin, and tiny vehicles move through miniature landscapes, bringing these paper constructions to life through simple mechanical movements and stop-motion animation.
The Paperholm project
Launched in 2014, Paperholm began as a daily creative challenge. Young set himself the task of designing, building, photographing, and publishing one new paper structure every day. What started as an exercise in creativity soon evolved into an expansive fictional world populated by towers, bridges, observatories, workshops, cabins, mills, vehicles, and countless other architectural forms.
Over the course of three years, the project grew to an astonishing 1,000 individual models. Together, these pieces formed an imagined archipelago of islands and settlements, each structure contributing to a larger visual narrative while remaining a unique work in its own right.
What makes Paperholm particularly captivating is the balance between familiarity and fantasy. Some buildings resemble industrial structures or rural architecture, while others feel delightfully surreal. A house might stand on bird-like legs, a tower may rotate, or a seemingly ordinary building may reveal an unexpected moving element. The world follows its own logic, inviting viewers to imagine the stories unfolding within it.
The Beauty of Working in White
One of the defining characteristics of Young’s work is its monochromatic appearance. Constructed primarily from white paper, the models rely on form, shadow, texture, and craftsmanship rather than colour to create visual impact.
This restraint allows viewers to focus on the architecture itself. Every cut, fold, curve, and detail becomes visible, highlighting the structural possibilities hidden within a seemingly ordinary sheet of paper. The absence of colour also creates a sense of unity across the vast collection, making the diverse structures feel as though they belong to the same imagined world. For paper lovers, there is something especially satisfying about seeing a material often associated with two-dimensional communication transformed into intricate three-dimensional forms. Young’s work celebrates paper not as a surface, but as a building material.
Part of what makes Paperholm so impressive is the discipline behind it. Creating a new piece every day required not only technical skill but also a constant flow of ideas. Through repetition, Young developed a visual language that continued to evolve while remaining cohesive. The project demonstrates how creative constraints can become a source of innovation. By returning to the same material day after day, Young discovered an astonishing range of forms, mechanisms, and architectural possibilities hidden within a single sheet of paper.
This spirit of experimentation continues throughout his broader practice, which includes commissioned paper sculptures, stop-motion animation, editorial illustrations, and large-scale paper installations for international clients and cultural institutions.
For us, Charles Young’s work embodies many of the qualities that make paper such a fascinating creative medium: simplicity, ingenuity, craftsmanship, and endless potential. In an age of increasingly digital experiences, Paperholm stands as a beautiful reminder that some of the most imaginative worlds can still be built from paper, glue, patience, and a sharp blade. Below you can see some of our favorite designs by the artist, but make sure to follow him on Instagram for more inspiration.
Colroblocks
Colour study using Sanzo Wada’s Dictionary of Colour combinations. Explore the full archive here.
Paperholm project
A series of animated icons for the Arizia Holiday Services