Artist

Zoe Bradley discovered her love of paper while making experimental hand pleated showpieces for the Japanese fashion designer Michiko Koshino A/W 2005 catwalk show. It was using paper as a material that proved to be a pivotal moment in her career.

The fashion-trained artist had apprenticed with the late Alexander  McQueen in 1997, creating some of the key pieces for his S/S’ ready-to-wear 1999 catwalk show – including the headline-grabbing doily- punched wood fan corset and skirts, as well as prosthetic legs worn by Aimee Mullins. 

Her unique experience at McQueen, ignited in her a real love of craftsmanship and an eye for a show stopping silhouette.

Bradley’s first commision was for the iconic London store Liberty. The brief was to create a ‘Magical Christmas Spectacle,’ designing five festive fashion showpieces for the windows. It was the  first step into dreaming up the intriguing paper sculptures for which she is now best known. 

Over the last fifteen years Bradley has worked across many disciplines, combining fashion, display and theatre, in her bespoke installations. 

She has become the go-to artist for some of the most recognisable global luxury brands. From Louis Vuitton and Selfridges to Smythson and Christian Louboutin – each looking for innovative ways to visually complement their products. 

Bradley works like a tailor and applies her artistry using the paper form. 

‘I work with paper just as a designer  works with fabric: folding, pleating,  curling and stitching the material,’ she explains of the process. 

‘My challenge has always been to come up with something unexpected, turning a sheet of 2D paper into a magical 3D sculpture.’  Bradley  works with her hands  creating a unique range of hand-sculpting  techniques that literally bring the paper to life!

The ZB product is primarily hand crafted and made from her studio in Wales. Employing techniques of die cutting, laser cutting, and unique hand sculpted finishes.  Although her signature material is paper, recent commissions have involved creations in plastic and metal. 

Inspired by the natural world and the beauty of flowers and nature, that surround her rural home, Bradley is passionate about sculpting in paper and using this medium to create the most detailed representation of flower varieties. Bradley’s love of nature and gardening has been passed down from previous generations from her grandfather and mother who were both keen and inventive gardeners. 

Her designs have also been published in numerous books, as well as featuring in exhibitions in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and New York.

“In order to capture the delicate intricacies of a blooming rose, I draw each petal by hand and machine-cut it for precision. The petals are formed using a bradawl and a heated tong; I create detailing by using hand scoring techniques. I love the intricacy involved in hand-crafting small roses, but much of my work is undertaken on a much larger scale.” Zoe Bradley