Nahoko Kojima

Contemporary Japanese Paper Cut Artist

Nahoko Kojima is a Japanese contemporary artist specializing in paper cutting. Born in Japan, Kojima became entranced with the art form at a young age. Choosing to pursue the arts, she attended the Kuwasawa Design School to explore graphic design. Yet not long after, she left Japan to move to London. There, Kojima began cutting professionally, having her first exhibit at the Epicurean Lounge in 2007.

Starting a new epoch in her career, Kojima opened her own studio and began filling major galleries. Most notably, Kojima held an exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery, which marked a turn in her work, as the piece she created— Cloud Leopard (2012), a paper sculpture of a leopard— was her first 3D piece. In 2013, Kojima collaborated with Bulgari by designing avian paper cuts for Bulgari stores throughout Asia.

Kojima has won the prestigious Kuwasawa Award— a prize given to impactful Japanese artists. Her last major piece was Sumi (2019)— a large crocodile paper sculpture created using a sole sheet of paper— and was made for the Dulwich Picture Gallery Museum in London.