Magic and Mystery Illuminate Hari & Deepti’s Paper-Cut Dioramas

For more than a decade, we’ve been following the intricate dioramas by Hari & Deepti (previously). The Mumbai-based husband and wife are known for their elaborate narratives of cut and layered paper, which they tuck inside frames and backlight with soft LEDs. In recent years, the duo has gravitated toward tiny, delicate patterns while making the overall scenes more minimal.

Their new exhibition, Forgotten Places of Beings and Things, opens today at Heron Arts in San Francisco and presents a collection of enchanting works. Minuscule figures navigate lush woodlands and windswept dunes that, when illuminated, appear like worlds of magic and intrigue.

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through tall trees. the piece is backlit by warm yellow light — “The Walk to Two Ponds”

“What amazes us about the paper-cut light boxes is the dichotomy of these pieces in their lit and unlit states. The contrast is so stark that it has this mystical effect on the viewers,” the artists say.

Forgotten Places of Beings and Things is on view through January 25. Hari & Deepti recently published an illustrated children’s book titled The Seekers, and you can follow the latest in their collaborative practice on Instagram.

an intricate papercut world with tiny figures and creatures amid tall trees. the piece is backlit by warm yellow light — “The Stories They Told Us”

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through dunes and vines. the piece is backlit by warm yellow light — “Through the Wind Swept Field”

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through tall trees all framed in round white wood — “A Forest Structure”

an intricate papercut world with two tiny figures wandering through a dune-like landscape. the piece is backlit by warm yellow light — “Time Keepers 1”

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through tall trees — Detail of “A Forest Structure”

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through tall trees all in an oval frame backlit by warm light — “Under the Vine Forest”

an intricate papercut world with a tiny figure wandering through tall trees all in an oval white wood frame — “Under the Vine Forest”

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