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    The powerful paper art of Peopletoo

    By Aaron Souppouris

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    Amnesty Fan The Flame
    Amnesty Fan The Flame

    Since 2007, Russian artists Alexej Lyapunov and Lena Erlich — collectively known as "Peopletoo" — have been creating dynamic artwork with one the oldest materials around: paper. Their work ranges from flat collages made up of multiple pieces of colored paper to incredibly detailed three-dimensional dioramas.

    Peopletoo makes a living by crafting images for advertising, and recently wrapped up a campaign for the human rights charity Amnesty International. We spoke with Lyapunov and Erlich to learn more about their history, influences, and processes.

    Peopletoo paper art

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    Lyanpunov first experimented with paper craft as a child. The pair were both members of "creative children's clubs" in the Soviet Union, and cite their time spent in the clubs as a major influence. Peopletoo's first commissioned work with paper didn't come until 2008, when they created the piece above for The Expert Siberia. "We realized then that this was the right field for us."