Crazy Creative Cardboard by Greg Olijnyk

On artist Greg Olijnyk’s website, he shows a large pile of X-Acto blades, the result of hours and hours spent carefully slicing cardboard. His work is hugely impressive, regardless of his medium, creating insects, robots, buildings, and more, with incredible detail.

The sculptures come alive with sensors and lights, creating sculptural pieces that are truly amazing.

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Olijnyk has a keen sense for form and function, creating intricate and elegant flying figures, robotic creatures and more that feel like highly refined machines.

Many of his pieces are for sale, each one taking dozens if not hundreds of hours each to create.

Images © Copyright Greg Olijnyk. Photography by Griffin Simm.

Olijnyk crafting intricate sculptures, including the piles of blades he goes through to cut intricate lines.

Fantastical flying creatures embody a machine-like aesthetic, and have built-in lights to add to their appeal.

“The sculptures are constructed without plans and without the use of digital 3D software or automated cutting devices. In fact, his primary tool is a scalpel blade. Often, the joints in the sculptures are real and can be moved, and Olijnyk frequently illuminates his work with small LED lights.

The form of a sculpture usually reveals itself during the creative process, where each element is informed by the one that came before. Because of this, a sculpture can take anywhere from weeks to months to finish. There is no shortcut when it comes to fashioning believable structure and detail – whether it’s a brick, a girder, a rivet, or even a tiny bird.”