matt Shlian: every line is a circle if you Make it long enough
JUNE 20 — AUGUST 31, 2025
Matt Shlian works within the increasingly nebulous space between art and engineering. As a paper engineer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Shlian’s work is rooted in print media, book arts, and commercial design, though he frequently finds himself collaborating with a cadre of scientists and researchers who are just now recognizing the practical connections between paper folding and folding at microscopic and nanoscopic scales.
Matt Shlian’s latest body of work invites viewers into a world where art, science, and engineering converge. Renowned for his intricate paper sculptures, Shlian transforms flat sheets into dynamic, dimensional forms, exploring the beauty of structure, pattern, and movement. Each piece reflects a deep curiosity about the unseen forces that shape our world — from the mathematics of nature to the rhythm of soundwaves. This exhibition showcases Shlian’s most recent explorations, pushing the boundaries of paper as a medium and revealing the poetic potential of precision and play.
Shlian previously exhibited a small selection of work alongside Li Hongbo ten years ago at the Dennos Museum Center in the exhibition Li Hongbo & Matt Shlian: Stacked & Folded Paper as Sculpture.
Learn more about him and his work online at mattshlian.com.
ARTIST BIO
Matthew Shlian is an artist/designer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His work in paper extends from drawings to large scale installations to collaborations with leading scientists at the University of Michigan. His work for the National Science Foundation explores paper folding structures on the macro level translated to the nano-scale. His client list includes Ghostly International, Apple, P&G, Facebook, Levi’s, Sesame Street and the Queen of Jordan. His work can be seen at www.mattshlian.com and @matthewshlian on Instagram.
Artist Statement
As a paper engineer my work is rooted in print media, book arts and commercial design. Beginning with an initial fold, a single action causes a transfer of energy to subsequent folds, which ultimately manifest in drawings and three dimensional forms. I use my engineering skills to create kinetic sculpture which have led to collaborations with scientists at the University of Michigan. Researchers see paper engineering as a metaphor for scientific principles; I see their inquiry as a basis for artistic inspiration. In my studio I am a collaborator, explorer and inventor. I begin with a system of folding and at a particular moment the material takes over. Guided by wonder, my work is made because I cannot visualize its final realization; in this way I come to understanding through making.
Image: Matthew Shlian, Unholy 216. 2019, Iridescent gold and fine gold paper. 48 x 52 x 4 in. Detail.
This exhibition is made possible with support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Robert T. and Ruth Haidt Hughes Memorial Endowment Fund.
