Tiffanie Turner in her Bay Area studio.
Ethereal. Preternatural. Otherworldly. These are adjectives that blossom forth when first encountering botanical sculptor Tiffanie Turner’s exquisitely crafted, often larger than life, paper flowers. It’s as if we’ve fallen down Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole, as seen from the rabbit’s perspective.
“I can use the asymmetrical movement of an inexplicably large and somehow distressed head of a flower to tell the tales of the beauty and transience of life.” —Tiffanie Turner
Dahlia I, paper mâché and Italian crepe paper. Private collection, photos by Sarah Deragon
Stunted, paper mâché, wood rods, stain, and Italian crepe paper. Collection of Emily Sawtell, photos by Shaun Roberts
Raised in the woods of New Hampshire, Turner began painting while in architecture school. Inspired by the botanical work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 16th- and 17th- century Dutch Masters, and modern artists such as Tom Friedman and Lee Bontecou, Turner turned to sculpting flowers with paper, informed by her architectural training and knowledge of construction. Turner’s studio, Papel SF, was formed to meet her unquenchable desire to create.
Specimen B, English Rose, paper mâché, stain, and Italian crepe paper. Collection of Ashley Longshore, photo by Shaun Roberts
Specimen C, Ranunculus, paper mâché, stain, and Italian crepe paper. Private collection, photo by Shaun Roberts
Specimen E, Platinum Blonde, paper mâché and Italian crepe paper. Private collection, photo by Shaun Roberts
Split Rose, paper mâché, wood rods, stain, and Italian crepe paper. Private collection, photo by Shaun Roberts
A study in scale, texture, and color, each piece, meticulously constructed from crepe paper, can take up to four months to complete. Beginning with a specimen of the flower itself, Turner starts in the center, building outward, cutting and shaping each petal by hand. While realistic and achingly beautiful, the flowers illuminate the cyclical progression of nature from creation to decay and death. Unafraid to confront aging, Turner, in fact, celebrates it. “Working with the rhythms and patterns found in nature, as well as the wonderful gestures formed by missteps and irregularities…my work has advocated for finding the beauty of aging.”
Three Chrysanthemums Paper mâché, wood rods, stain, and Italian crepe paper. Private collection
Work in progress for upcoming exhibit: American Grown April 22 – June 3, 2023, Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco
The Fine Art of Paper Flowers by Tiffanie Turner. Photos by Aya Brackett
Tiffanie Turner exhibits her work and holds workshops and retreats on the art of paper flower making throughout United States and abroad. Author of The Fine Art of Paper Flowers, she is represented by Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco.
Visit papelsf.com and @tiffanieturner to learn more.
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PRODUCED BY LESLIE NEWSOM RASCOE, MILIEU DESIGN DIRECTOR