Page 11: But there is such beauty when things differ...
Artist Duo: The Paper Ark.​
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Page description and purpose: The Paper Ark's miniature paper sculptures are absolutely delightful. I chose them for this page because of their incredible talent and their dedication to parrot conservation. When thinking of the beauty in diversity, Birds of Paradise come to mind—and even the little wren, magpie, and robin, the common garden birds. The erasure and editing of self, and thus requiring others to do so, is wrong. This page directly confronts the mechanics of 'othering' by redirecting us back to nature's delightful ease and excitement at creative self-expression and pride in each unique beauty. Don't conform—don't allow the impulse to dim or exaggerate—just be. True acceptance means creating a world where the most vibrant and the most muted are equally celebrated, and no one is asked to hide their true colours to belong. The visual display of the parrot's unique and vibrant plumage reminds us of the fun and joy of expressing ourselves without suppressing our quirks. It gives us permission—though we shouldn't need it—to stand out and be ourselves. In doing so, we hopefully invite others to also spread their colourful wings of vibrant hues, or to be proud of their preference for muted simplicity. All of us are needed.
Welcome Nayan and Venus Bird! I hope your miniature parrots will help share your conservation cause with the book's readers. You are the perfect duo for All Other. Rose
Watercolour artist Venus Bird is also an avid birder and hails from Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India). Her love of birds is evident in every piece she creates, which is inspired by captivating birds and their vibrant colours. Her work honours the vivid palette of nature and all living things. Venus holds a diploma in animation and visual effects, which broadens her skill set. The Paper Ark's miniature paper art is alive with her colours.
The creator of all the tiny paper cut sculptures at The Paper Ark is Nayan, Born in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India) and a furniture and interior design graduate from National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, India. He now works full-time as a paper cut artist. The straightforward yet complex organic structures found in nature have an influence on Nayan's art. You can observe how Nayan's art skillfully portrays the intricacies of nature in paper.
Our artistic collaboration strives to redefine paper as a material and use art as a means of educating people about our planet's unique biodiversity. We want to bring attention to how fragile everyone is through art and stories. To pique viewers' curiosity and encourage them to learn more about our wildlife, we took on the challenge of creating miniature, highly detailed birds, animals and all the beautiful beings found in the world. Mother Earth is our greatest motivator; we go birdwatching and exploring the wilderness around our city on a frequent basis. Every time we go out, we return with our minds full of amazing experiences and information, such as aiding Red Wattled Lapwing chicks to cross a road, releasing a turtle back into a river from a field, or witnessing a butterfly emerge from a pupa in the morning. And there is still so much to experience and see in nature that one lifetime will not suffice. We therefore hope to create a world that is more conscious of and knowledgeable about the wildlife they share the planet with by using the simple material paper as our medium and exploring the versatile characteristics of paper to create art which is inspired from our beloved wild beings.​ Nayan & Venus