Wini Tapp

Wini Tapp began with a children’s art workshop in Hastings, East Sussex, where artist and art educator Louise Burgess created paper puppet kits for the children to make and play with. Seeing how quickly the puppets sparked imaginative games and stories inspired Louise to develop them into a wider collection. It soon became clear they weren’t just for kids either - the playful designs had a habit of bringing out the inner child in grown-ups too.

Today, Louise creates her Wini Tapp puppets from her Hastings studio, illustrating, printing and packaging each design herself. Her Artist Series transforms some of art’s most recognisable figures into wonderfully characterful cut-and-make paper puppets, including Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Yayoi Kusama, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Andy Warhol. The Wini Tapp name was inspired by Louise’s grandmother, a classy, artistic woman who played the accordion, loved pug dogs and was partial to lashings of red lipstick.