Makitoy's stamp-sized collages transform daily observations into tactile paper artworks

South Korean illustrator and artist Makitoy creates miniature collages the size of stamps, using paper and colour to record everyday moments. Her practice emphasizes repetition and patience, treating drawing as a form of timekeeping rather than producing final results. She charts entire months with micro collages and years with zoomed-in nature snapshots translated into paper through various drawing tools. Plants are a central subject, their slow growth mirroring her working method; she reduces natural shapes to minimal lines and structures to explore colour interactions, spatial relationships, light, and order. Recently, she has expanded into still life works depicting objects like watering cans, armchairs, and paint brushes using colourful paper shards. Makitoy aims to transform ordinary forms into visual fragments that carry warmth, drawn to the quiet atmosphere of aged objects. Her work includes series such as 'Fig', 'Ginkgo Leaf', 'Alphabet Series', and calendars from 2024 and 2026. The artist's restrained aesthetic advocates for drawing as a daily ritual. Makitoy is represented on Instagram at instagram.com/makitoy. The article was written by Ellis Tree, a staff writer at It's Nice That, and published on July 28, 2026.