Ever tried folding cardboard. More often than not you end up crumpling this stiff and unwieldy material. But not Greg Olijnyk. This graphic designer, who’s into 2D digital projects, creates cardboard marvels in his spare time.
The most surprising part is, Olijnyk doesn’t use special cardboard for his works but works with packaging cardboard. Of course, he does use tracing paper for intricate work and gives finishing touches with LED lighting and glass accessories.
To Olijnyk, cardboard is the most malleable material and affordable too. He loves its color and texture, and the fact that it can be folded in any form he likes. Explaining his love for this material to Colossal, he says, “Every piece has the limitations and advantages of the cardboard material in mind, how it bends, how strong it will be, etc.”
Olijnyk gets inspiration for his fantastic creations either from sci-fi books or picks them up from any exciting item he finds on Pinterest. Of course, he does all the brainwork for his creations. And it’s not only the brain work but painstakingly detailed work that makes his form of art most challenging. Take for example his sailing boat sculpture, where he painstakingly simulates water by giving a pleated and folding effect to the cardboard. This sculpture took him a few months to create.
Olijnyk’s robot sculptures are with moving limbs and rotating wheels. Some are even equipped with solar panels to power small motors to activate various components.
Greg Olijnyk: Instagram