Sena Runa’s beautiful paper artwork, Via Mymodernmet

Istanbul-based Turkish artist Sena Runa left her job as an HR Specialist earlier this year to pursue her passion for paper quilling as a full-time job. “I began quilling three years ago,” she told us in an email. “While I was searching the internet for inspiration to find the right hobby for me, I found a colourful picture that was made from paper using the quilling technique, but I had no idea what it was called. I tried to make it (I had colored papers from my earlier hobby: origami), but it turned out awful! After exploring many quilled creations online, I soon found my own style.”

Now, Runa quills paper to creatively express the inspiring world around her. “Everything inspires me,” she admits. “When I see a photo on Instagram, or a contest on a website or a magazine, anything you could imagine inspires me. For example, while I was drinking my coffee the other day, I asked myself ‘Why don’t you make a coffee cup or something like that?’ and I made a small Frappuccino cup that same day :)”

Each swirling sliver of colorful paper adds shape and life to her bright and uplifting compositions.

Can you tell us a bit about your process?

After I decide on the image, I draw a template, then I decide which colors I am going to use. After this, everything is spontaneous (details within the papers, I mean). The creative process for each item changes, so I can say that preparing one piece takes approximately a day to complete, and this is for the designs which I’ve made before. Creating a new design usually takes longer.

Read the full interview with the artist and check out the artists website here!