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Ever seen a face made from paper scraps and stitches? Yep, that’s exactly what Katy Williamson does, and it’s pure magic! She takes bits of paper, mixes in some embroidery, and suddenly faces come alive in the most dreamy, otherworldly way. Let’s dive into her quirky, fantastic world of collage and stitching!
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Katy started messing with collage back in 2011 while studying Graphic Design. At first, it was just a way to stop everything from looking all digital and boring. Then she put it on pause for a bit while working full-time. But lockdown hit, and bam! She was back at it, using paper cutting as her therapy jam. And guess what? She never quit since!
Her style? Wild, chaotic, and a bit messy - in the best way. She’s all about trusting that gut feeling and letting the chaos do the talking.
At some point, Katy got a brilliant idea: why not add thread to those paper faces? She tried embroidery and - boom! - it became her signature move. Suddenly, her art wasn’t just flat paper; it was practically jumping out with texture and sparkle. Mixing paper with stitching unlocked a whole new playground for her creativity.
Trying out new stuff can be a bit scary, but Katy loves the thrill. She refuses to get stuck in just one style (yawn). Instead, she tests out ideas - some fizzle, some stick - and keeps her art fresh and full of surprises.
Katy’s art journey is a cool reminder: artists keep growing when they keep trying new things. Sticking to a single style? Snooze. Keeps it interesting, keeps it real.
Photographer: Stanley Morgan (@stanleymorganphotography)
Model: King Kofi
Collage: Katy Williamson
"This piece is a knockout collab that snagged the Single Portrait win at the 2023 Contemporary Collage Awards. Cover star material, for sure!"
Photographer: Ricardo Delgado (@ritttch)
Collage: Katy Williamson
"This was made for a music release, and it’s as cool and weird as the track title: 2.22AM."
Client: National Theatre of Great Britain
"This was made for a play called Cloud 9. It’s all about gender, race, and time travel - even the people age funky, and the actors swap gender roles to shake things up. Katy’s art nailed the vibe."
Exhibition alert! Katy’s work was shown in Devonshire Square, London, from October to November 2023. These photos come from New Zealand's Te Papa Museum.
Exhibition time again! These pieces, called 'The Unknown's,' use old photos from New Zealand’s Te Papa Museum. Katy, a Kiwi living abroad, got super inspired by these mysterious faces from the past who made the long journey to a new land. She wonders about their stories while giving them new life with paper and thread. A little bit spooky, a lot touching.
More from the London exhibition, showing just how rich textures and tones can get with Katy’s technique.
Client: David Castellani, International Techno DJ
"David’s all about weird vibes. He told Katy, 'make it weird,' and she ran with it! She even animates her collages to match his music. Total dream team, and things are just getting started."
Katy shared a fun story about two of her favorite wild collages: one of Donald Trump (yes, the guy!) for Politico and another of Paul Gascoigne (a soccer legend). Both needed to scream chaotic madness, so she went all-out with torn paper and crazy angles. The end result? Art that’s as wild as the subjects themselves. And it taught her to trust her gut when creating chaos.
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