Japanese artist Nasa Funahara (foo-nah-HAR-rah) reinvents classic artworks using a unique material: Washi, a tape made from traditional Japanese paper. She develops a Washi collage in bright colors and patterns to re-create Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s c. 1665 Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Funahara has collected Washi tape—which comes in thousands of different patterns—for years. She carefully cuts and layers the tape to build her compositions. When she re-creates a classic artwork, she always includes its defining shapes. For example, in this work, she layers Washi pieces to render the girl’s recognizable round face, fabric garments, and iconic pearl earring.