Vital Cuts by Annemarieke Kloosterhof

These exquisite heart and lung paper cuts are part of a series, called "Vital," exploring topics of disease and malfunction within the vital organs of the human body. Expertly crafted by master paper-cutter, Annemarieke Kloosterhof—a student of Central Saint Martins in London.

I'm always amazed at the patience and diligence of people who work with paper as a medium. Annemarieke not only cuts out the anatomical shape, but inserts the tiniest of details throughout each piece.

Annemarieke says that she tries to, "capture the essence of the different diseases people struggle with, and the feeling it gives them, hiding amongst the delicate veins are animals and insects to be found, portraying the delicacy of the human body and its vital organs."

"Pace," represents heart disease and the fragility it places on a person's life. Look closely and you'll find 14 insects, 3 cocoons, 5 caterpillars, and 6 moths hidden amongst the arteries. Each stage represents the cycle of life and, for humans, how it "all stops and starts with the heart." Hand-cut from a single piece of 120gsm white paper, splattered with red watercolour and ink.

In the piece titled "Oxygen," you can find 14 tiny birds perched among the branches of the broncioles. Annemarieke says, "The birds hiding amongst the veins symbolise the sound of a pair of lungs when someone suffers from Asthma and has difficulty breathing." Hand-cut from a single piece of A3 watercolor paper, splattered with red ink.If you love seeing work-in-progress shots, then follow Annemarieke on Instagram to see her paper-cutting.

See more of Annemarieke Kloosterhof's paper work at annemariekekloosterhof.com! You'll get lost in it as I did.