Old Orwellian joins Forbes’ 30 under 30

Image credit to JR CHUO.

Old Orwellian Joseph Reed has recently been added to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for his work as a contemporary paper cut artist.

Forbes, who have recently published their 30 under 30 list for Arts & Culture, included former Orwell Park Prep School student Joseph Reed, also known as ‘JR CHUO.’

JR CHUO is a contemporary paper cut artist whose work explores the notion of façades in society that conceal harsh realities, with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on coral reefs. To date, his artwork has funded 130 coral nurseries through his partnership with Coralive, a climate-based environmental organisation.

He has exhibited in six countries and at 18, CHUO was the youngest artist at Tokyo International Art Fair. By the time he reached 19 years old, he had been perfecting his art form of paper cutting for seven years.

Joseph’s family were thrilled at the news, saying “it really is an amazing achievement.”

Speaking to BBC Look East, Joseph said that his passion for coral reef restoration came from studying Geography at school. He also stated on the programme that his art intended to “show the beauty of coral and hopefully inspire people to take some sort of action on an area of climate change that is often overlooked.”

To find out more, listen to Joseph talk about his art on BBC Look East or visit his website to learn more.

You can also read JR CHUO’s recent interviews with Al-tiba9 Magazine, Art Reveal Magazine and Image Curators Artist Advisory to discover more about his work and inspirations, or watch the video below.