Our story
Light of Stars grows from thirty years of making.
The installation is created by Paper Starlights, an independent UK business that has worked with skilled makers in India since 1996.
Paper Starlights, established 1996
An established craft, taken to architectural scale.
Paper Starlights began with handmade paper star lanterns and a long-term relationship between the UK business and makers in India. The same material knowledge, print processes and maker relationships sit behind Light of Stars.
That continuity is important. The installation is not a digital effect styled to look handmade. It is built from real paper objects, screen printed, folded and assembled by hand.
The making
Human variation is part of the character.
Traditional screen printing creates depth and small variations that cannot be reproduced exactly by a machine. The stars use responsibly sourced paper, plant-based pigments and low-energy LED lighting.
When the work is scaled up into an installation, that visible handwork matters. Even in a monumental building, the individual objects retain texture, folds and evidence of their making.
Paper and print
The star begins as a physical object, not a projected image.
Different faith communities
The people involved in making the stars come from different faith backgrounds and communities, giving the shared symbol of the star a naturally inclusive story.
Creative direction
Andy Jupp
Andy is a co-founder of Paper Starlights and leads the creative development of Light of Stars. His role combines three decades of product and project experience with a background in community arts and cultural production.
That is why the design conversation is not only about where the stars hang. It also considers how the installation can work with a venue's visitors, programme, events, learning and community activity.
What guides the work
Respect the place. Be clear about the practical work.
Buildings with history and public meaning do not need an installation that shouts over them. We want the stars to help people notice the architecture differently, while the venue remains recognisably itself.
That means being open about access, responsibilities, rigging, timing and removal, and working collaboratively with the people who know the building best.
Paper Starlights
See the wider thirty-year story behind the stars.
Light of Stars is one part of Paper Starlights. Visit the main site for the wider company story, products and approach to craft.