Meticulously working with a scalpel to carve out his cut-paper constructions, contemporary British artist Jack Milroy fashions breath-taking new worlds out of printed material. Visually stunning as finished objects, it is the details through which his work truly comes alive. Inviting us to dive deeper and explore new perspectives, these close-ups reveal Milroy's playful nature and humour.
Combining seemingly unusual components, he crafts new narratives and relationships between subjects. Through stimulating juxtapositions he showcases his subtle wit. In his whimsical worlds, Kitagawa Utamaro’s Okita and John William Waterhouse’s Destiny, for example, share a cup of tea. Similarly Michelangelo’s Adam is reaching out for the hand of a WWE Buff Bagwell action figure.
Many of his works also contain unexpected elements such as a series of monkeys hidden throughout different pieces. The Monkey and the Nest (2026), for instance, contains a singular monkey tucked away among a plethora of birds and flora for viewers to find. On the other hand, the eponymous monkey of Monkey (2024) nestles on a landscape of crumpled book pages between a magical garden and an array of military vehicles.
Whether it is through the juxtapositions he creates or through hidden monkeys, Milroy crafts new relationships between printed materials. The jocularity he adds through this is also captured through his immensely popular sardine tin creations. These have sparked a whole movement asking Waitrose to bring back their former tin designs.
Explore some of our favourite details with us below...
View the Bibliophilia show online at and at our Bond Street Gallery until the 31st May 2026, or get in contact with our specialists for more information.
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