Cthulhu, the abominable Great Old One at the center of H.P. Lovecraft's cosmically horrifying Cthulhu mythos, is a terror so great that his mere presence and appearance overwhelms human sanity. So it's safe to say even his biggest fans might not have a figure of him siting around.

That didn't stop the incredibly talented sculptor Masaki Odaka (@odonger2) from blowing the minds of many online with his recreation of the Eldritch being. However, it's not just the amazing quality with which Odaka recreated Cthulhu that has so many in awe, but the material he used to do so. Cardboard!

Odaka is a cardboard sculptor who happens to fancy using his skills to craft fantastical beasts and creatures, pushing the limits of what cardboard as a material can create. As he shared in a now viral Tweet, he's quite "good at kneading carboard into evil things." The first image is the humble and cute flat cardboard shape of an octopus-like creature. The second is the slithering-tendril face of Cthulhu that he was able to refine it into after moistening the cardboard and then kneading it for hours.

The cardboards is then cut backwards from the intended finished form, and then kneaded more and hardened like clay.

Source: @odonger2

Source: @odonger2

The before and after of the headpiece alone is enough to make your jaw drop, but after no doubt countless more hours, Odaka was able to apply his intricate kneading and cutting technique to recreate Cthulhu in all his dark glory. The finished product is truly stunning!

Source: @odonger2

The expertly crafted Cthulhu sculpture quickly spread on Twitter, with many wowed at the disparity in detail and depth between the before and after pictures. If you've seen Odaka's past works, however, you wouldn't be so surprised at how he can turn cardboard into a work of art.

Odaka also has a book, "Masaki Odaka Cardboard Works" which takes a good look at his impressive cardboard sculptures as well as provides instructions on how to make them, which is available on Amazon.

For those in Japan hoping to check out some works in person, Odaka will also be holding a solo exhibition at Toyama Shimin Plaza from July 16th to August 14th.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.