Paper City in a Box.

Remember the paper campsite, that little scene in a box...? Here is another one!

All the little walls and details fit snugly inside the box when dismantled. You'd never suspect it's there, unless you opened it!

This one I made for a friend's birthday who is a photographer and world trotter. Some of her travels have taken her to Havana, Cuba —my hometown.

I figured that a tiny Havana made of paper would make her happy :)

Putting together this diorama was joyful and evocative for me, it reminded me of some of what makes Havana such a picturesque place... 

Centuries-old tile & intricate ironwork, remnants from colonial times.

Layer upon layer of pastel colors on the walls.
Crumbling art-nouveau façades by the waterfront.

And my favorite: massive, gravity-defying trees growing on the side of a building, their roots crawling into someone's living room.

Havana is a surreal place, full of dichotomies and magical corners...

I do have a thing for small, empty boxes these days. With their pristine little lids and their fluffy interior lining... they just beg to be turned into something surprising and self-contained! :)

Oh, check out Carol's photography! She has been to —and photographed— places I hope to visit one day...