As shared with Bored Panda, Williamson discovered collage back in 2011 when she was studying Graphic Design, when she used to bring it to her projects in an attempt to make them less 'digital'-looking. After finishing her degree, in 2014, she started working full-time as a designer, and stopped making collages regularly until 2020.
During lockdown, she turned again to paper cutting as an emotional outlet: “In lockdown my ‘world’ was kind of collapsing around me and I used collage as a form of therapy. I then started sharing my work, and I haven’t stopped since then!” That raw approach eventually led to major covers for Politico and The Sunday Times Magazine, pushing her to embrace chaotic energy and trust her instincts
What began as a cut-and-paste-and-assemble paper technique quickly became her signature mix of paper and thread after a commissioned work. She shared: “I immediately caught the bug and have been experimenting with it since.” Blending embroidery with paper unlocked a whole new dimension of vibrant physical texture for her work, bringing her even closer to that desire for tactility.
Yet stepping into unknown territory comes with its own challenges: “I love that I feel like I am discovering new areas in my work, which is really exciting and also a little daunting.” As the artist shared, pushing past a single fixed style is what keeps her practice alive:
“Because we are told to ‘find your style’, which is a double-edged sword, because you can grow competent but also complacent and stale after a while. I think trying new techniques is really important and to realise that some of them will just be tests and pass by, but some of them will stick.”
Ultimately, Katy Williamson's journey shows that an artist’s voice doesn’t come from standing still, but from the courage to keep exploring.
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