How It Was Made: Paper Torso with Removable Organs

You may have seen this incredible paper human torso with removable organs about the internet last week. It was featured on a few art blogs you may have heard of, like…all of them. See: BoingBoingJuxtapozDesignBoomNotCotComplex, and Colossal.

But today, original story breakers My Modern Met have even more to offer: an interview with the artist and photos that show the whole thing being designed and built.  

The good news for DIYers is that the artist, Horst Kiechle, used only paper and glue to contruct the whole thing. The bad news: it takes massive amounts of anatomical research and 3D design modeling skills.

And the cool part: it was created for an elementary school classroom in Fiji.

The idea for this project came from Ms. Joanne Nakora from the International School Nadi in the Fiji Islands. Now, Fijians are famous for playing rugby, not so much for delicate paper craft. In order for the torso to survive in this environment, it had to be strong. Definitely strong enough for the organs to withstand the occasional kick across the class room.

Each design, therefore, consists of horizontal and vertical strips and, after laminating three layers together, it becomes quite strong. Additional strength should come from a layer of polyurethane after the teachers and students complete painting the organs.

Sometimes, the process of which strip goes where is a bit tricky. Not really difficult, just very time consuming.

Exclusive Interview: Paper Torso Artist