João Charrua’s boundless imagination comes through in his surrealist work. His masks and objects defy categorization, giving the artist a unique place of his own.
Shell Man also plays with double meaning—a human head (or is it a witch?) seemingly hiding inside the spiral shelter of a seashell.
Made from folded cardboard, the work began with sketches and was finished with shellac to add strength and durability.
Artwork Details
Medium
cardboard
Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Charrua, João
Role
Designer and folder
Date made
2019
Notes
About the artist:
João Charrua is a Portuguese origami artist known for creating surreal and imaginative paper sculptures from a single sheet. For him, origami is both a way of thinking and a way of life—a blend of intuition, logic, and imagination.
He began folding as a shared pastime with his daughter, and soon became captivated by the level of detail the medium could achieve. Charrua often crafts expressive human faces, describing masks as mysterious portals to the imagination. His work is driven not by recognizable forms but by fleeting thoughts, emotions, and a deep fascination with the creative potential hidden in a simple fold.
