Natalie Wong spends three months creating 'fantasy' 3D coral artwork made entirely from colourful paper

Named Korállion, the 3D piece is made entirely from coloured paper using a variety of techniques including scoring, detail-cutting, overlay folding and paper-sculpting. The artwork references the organic shapes and textures found in the diverse environment of underwater flora and fauna, such as foliose and digitate corals.

Amazingly, there are 26 individual coral types featured in the display. So this isn't just a masterpiece of skill and commitment; it's an example of pure dedication as it took Wong over three months to complete.

Korállion is, in fact, Wong’s most labour-intensive project to date. Regarding the process behind the artwork (watch the video below), she said: "The first stage involved researching a range of different coral types to allow for shape variations within the piece. For example, staghorn coral is interesting for its cylindrical branches whereas the great star coral has fascinating circular cluster formations.

"The next stage was colour-blocking the display and figuring out the precise position of each coral segment. It was visually important that each section contrasted to the coral next to it. The third stage took the longest time and involved the careful and precise production of each piece. Some sections took a full week to complete. The final stage involved the assembly into the display and ensuring the coral parts structurally ‘blended’ into each other naturally."

As a mixed-media artist, Wong has employed a wide range of materials in her previous works including LEDs, fabric and recycled plastic. But when it comes to paper, Wong says "Paper is my go-to medium and I have an inexplicable obsession with colour. Using paper in my work is like cutting directly into each colour itself, you draw with your knife and your scissors. There are endless possibilities with paper and it is always exciting to experiment with this super versatile material."