Mixed Media

Claire Cassidy

Claire Cassidy, working under the name Studio Flos, is a queer artist based on Gadigal Land.

Artist Profile

Claire works almost entirely with hand-cut paper, creating bold and intricate compositions bursting with colour, shadow and texture. Every element is meticulously cut, painted and assembled by hand to create work that feels joyful, modern and unique.

At the heart of Claire’s practice is the figure — bold, curious and alive with personality. She builds dream-like scenes piece by piece, carefully considering each cut, colour and shadow. Sometimes powerful, sometimes tender, her figures embrace complexity, queerness and resilience, while still holding onto a sense of play and mischief. Each work feels like a captured moment in a larger narrative, inviting the viewer to pause, wonder and connect.

Claire is heavily inspired by the discovery of her grandmother’s delicate scherenschnitte — traditional paper cut crafts saved from when she was a child. Claire became fascinated with the art of paper cutting, which she has evolved into a fresh, playful style that brings a modern twist to the traditional craft. She is also inspired by folk art, mythology, sapphic yearning and the moon.

She has exhibited with Rebirth Gallery and Oddball Gallery and has created commissioned work for Frankie Magazine, Peppermint Magazine, Made590 and Officeworks, among others. Originally from London, Claire has called Australia home since 2012 and now creates from her Marrickville studio.

Artist Interview

What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work primarily with hand cut paper, which I paint. Using paper feels both traditional and fresh, and I enjoy paying homage to the history of paper craft while reimagining it in a contemporary, playful way.

How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

My work usually embodies aspects of my queerness and the community that I have around me. For visual inspiration I am drawn to vintage ephemera, folk symbolism and brooding cowgirls/boys/folks. I have a very detailed creation process with a clear set of steps: cutting, painting, layering and assembling. I start with plain white, extra heavy paper, cutting it into intricate shapes and then painting each one before assembling the pieces into layered compositions. I really enjoy the rhythm of moving through them. There’s something meditative about building an image piece by piece. This medium lets me play with colour, shadow and texture in a very deliberate way, and I love the physicality of working by hand, it’s slow and intentional.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

My studio is a bright space in a shared artist warehouse, filled with colour and little objects I’ve collected over time. I keep my materials neatly organised, drawers of paper, toolboxes of scalpels and jars of brushes, this allows me to easily move through my process. Music or podcasts are usually playing in the background and I love working in long, focused stretches where I can really sink into the rhythm of cutting and assembling. My studio feels calm,which is exactly the energy I want my work to have.