About Papershades
I’m Ros Freeborn, an artist with a passion for paper. I love the stuff – tissue, wallpaper, wrapping paper, packaging… no magazine is safe in my hands! I use it to create paper collage art. I came up with the idea for Papershades after realising that the lampshades in my home looked so boring.
I thought to myself, why can’t lampshades be made of paper and why can’t they be a new kind of canvas for my art? So that’s how it all began. Paper is wonderfully strong when it’s folded or curved. I found a way to exploit this strength by inventing two supports – wheels with spokes at the end – to hold five panels of paper in place. And the supports fit perfectly onto lamp stands or room lights.
I launched Papershades with a floral range based on big, blowsy artworks made with a variety of papers. They look cheerful, colourful and fun and will brighten up a room whether the lights are on or off. And they do last longer than real flowers. I then expanded my range with subjects such as Nostalgia, Culinary, Literary and, my most popular range Places. I spent lockdown creating impressions of places I love and long to visit. So I’ve created Papershades of counties, regions, cities, towns and neighbourhoods. Let me know if you’d like to commission a bespoke Papershades.