This artist is turning cardboard into critters

A cardboard box does not look like much — until it is in Simon Greiner’s hands. 

Greiner spends his days transforming discarded cardboard boxes into sculptures, cutting and reshaping material that most people would throw away. 

“It took me a long time to call myself an artist,” Greiner said. “But if anybody creates something for the sake of creating it, that puts them in that space.”

He builds his work around a simple idea: art is defined not by the material, but by the act of creating it.

 

Working in an open studio, he invites anyone passing by to stop, watch, or take part.

Greiner creates his work solely from cardboard, a material he describes as both familiar and endlessly adaptable. What arrives as packaging quickly becomes something else entirely: animals, characters, and imagined creatures he shapes using simple tools and experimentation.

“It comes into our lives, into our houses,” he said. “If we order anything online, it’s coming in cardboard… a piece of cardboard can kind of become anything.”

The practice began during lockdown, when Greiner started making objects for his children using whatever materials were available at home. What started as a practical solution has grown into a creative approach grounded in accessibility. 

“It’s an opportunity for play,” he said. “I just want people to have a creative experience when they wouldn’t normally make space for that in their day.”

 

That philosophy now shapes his residency inside the UTS Library, where he has turned his studio into a visible, interactive space.

He fills tables with cardboard, scissors and tape, allowing students to sit down and experiment alongside him. 

Greiner, who previously worked in illustration and design, including several years in New York, says he built his pathway through doing, rather than formal training. 

“If you want to do creative work, just make something for the sake of it,” he said. “That’s how you learn.”

 

The open studio reflects a shift away from finished pieces, with the residency prioritising process and experimentation.

UTS Library program manager Mia Turner said the approach had developed over time into something more community-focused.

“At its core, it was about bringing a creative into our space,” she said. “But it’s grown into something much more about knowledge sharing and community.”

Unlike traditional residencies, where artists often work privately before presenting a final outcome, the library invites students to engage with the practise. 

“In this space, they become part of our ecosystem,” Turner added. “They’re not hidden away. Students can see them working, talk to them, and be part of that process.”

The program prioritises artists whose work is accessible and transferable to students. Greiner’s use of cardboard removes many of the financial and technical barriers often associated with art making.

“The material base needs to be something our community can engage with,” Turner said. “Students can go away and try it themselves without needing expensive supplies.”

Students are so focused on their studies and their future. Creative spaces give them a moment to reset.

Mia Turner. UTS Library

For Greiner, the location of the residency is just as important as the work itself. He describes the library as a natural venue for students, staff and the wider community.

“It’s a real midpoint for a community,” he said. “There’s not really a better place than a completely accessible space like this.”

Turner said these kinds of creative spaces play an important role in student life, particularly within a high-pressure academic environment.

“Students are so focused on their studies and their future,” she said. “Creative spaces give them a moment to reset.”

She believes engaging with creative practice can shift how students think about their own work and abilities.

“It can change how they perceive themselves and what they’re working on,” she said.

For Greiner, the work is still evolving, shaped not just by his hands, but by those who stop and take part.

Main image by Mia Boccalatte.