Shelley Hanmo Qian is a self-taught paper artist based in the United States. Graduated from
Indiana University with a doctorate in music and a master’s degree in arts administration,
Shelley earned her name as an award-winning concert pianist, music educator, and arts
coordinator. Paper art is in fact her hobby for many years. In 2019, Shelley decided to pursue her
passion in illustration and book art, hence JunoniaArts on Instagram was created to share her
paper artworks with the world. Her works often feature landscape, animals, and characters in
nature, using mostly repurposed paper materials such as magazine pages, shopping bags, mailing
catalogs, wrapping paper, etc.
Shelley loves to experiment with different paper colors and textures. She sources her collage
elements from magazine and other repurposed paper materials. Searching for the right paper is
like a “treasure hunt” at times. In her collage art, texts on the repurposed paper often cultivate
depth and textures. Words on the paper are sometimes highlighted in the design to convey hidden
meanings behind the artwork. Alongside Shelley’s colorful collage art on social media, there are
often fun facts, conservation information, eco-friendly tips, and fairytale stories. Through
JunoniaArts, Shelley hopes to promote the awareness of reusing and upcycling while bringing
joy to many others through her storytelling illustrations.
Since 2019, Shelley has worked with several organizations in the United States to design and
create custom artworks. Notable collaborations include her greeting card designs for Kurandza
2020 #IStandForGirls campaign, and exclusive Christmas card designs for Clean Miami Beach.
She also partnered with the Edible Communities, a network of more than 90 independently-
owned, locally-focused magazines across the U.S. and Canada, to create paper art from their past
and current magazine issues. Shelley is currently working on her first children’s book in
collaboration with author Laura Jaworski. Their upcoming book titled In the Quiet Beauty of the
World will be released via Amazon later this summer.
