We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kiki Buccini a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kiki, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always loved world-building—even as a child. I used to write stories about a group of girls with superhuman powers. I would doodle too, but I never felt fully satisfied with my illustrations. Everything changed when I got my first camera. I was hooked. I could finally capture images exactly as I saw them, dream up creative photoshoots (which my friends reluctantly agreed to), and later, document the adventures of my young adult life.

My transition to collage came during a dark period. After my dad passed away, I fell into a deep depression and withdrew from the outside world. But my inner world came alive. I began creating images of empowerment, connection, and magic—visual manifestations of what I needed most at the time. Starting my art Instagram was a turning point. I connected with other collage artists, who, in my experience, are some of the kindest, most grounded, and collaborative people. For the first time, I found an art community where I felt truly supported and encouraged.

It was a game changer—sharing my work beyond just friends and family, and realizing how deeply healing a creative practice can be. That’s what continues to drive me now: the desire to create, connect, and share that sense of healing with others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I create under the moniker Cutpasteface, a name that reflects my focus on collage as my primary medium. As a lucid dreamer and humanist, my work is shaped by surrealism and social issues, blending the personal with the political. Growing up in the tri-state area, I was always drawn to the magnetic energy of New York City and the diverse stories of those it attracts. Through my art, I explore the complexity of the human experience- examining the solitary paths we walk while revealing the shared struggles and quiet connections that bind us all.

My primary medium is analog collage, although I do occasionally incorporate photography into my practice. Collage, for me, is a meditative process- unplanned, intuitive, and guided by the materials themselves until an image or message begins to emerge. The most rewarding aspect of commissions is interpreting the client’s idea and transforming it into a piece that not only reflects my own style but also surpasses their original vision.

I am a Jersey City–based collage artist whose work has been exhibited in galleries and creative spaces for over a decade. Over the years, I’ve created artwork for album covers, magazine features, and book covers, always with a focus on visual storytelling. Most recently, I collaborated with the Jersey City Free Public Library to design original artwork for tote bags and bookmarks, helping to raise funds and bring visibility to one of the city’s most vital public institutions.

While I’m proud of my professional accomplishments, it’s the local community projects that are the most meaningful to me. I believe art plays a vital role in connecting people—it can reflect diverse experiences, spark dialogue, and strengthen a sense of belonging. In a city as diverse as Jersey City, I see my work as both personal expression and a way to contribute to the cultural identity of the community.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is the way it shapes how I move through the world- with curiosity, presence, and a deep appreciation for the small, often overlooked moments of beauty and mystery. Creativity invites a unique way of seeing; we’re always searching for inspiration, whether through conventional paths or more unconventional ones. Artists tend to look beyond the surface- we want to understand what lies beneath, or view things from a different perspective.

In my own practice, I approach each piece as a process of exploration and problem-solving. I experiment freely, stay open to where the materials lead me, and resist being too precious about the outcome. That mindset- curious, adaptable, and present- is something I try to share with others through my work, inviting them to pause, wonder, and see the world a little differently.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

A goal in my creative journey is to carve out the time and space to fully immerse myself in my practice—something that’s been difficult to achieve while balancing a full-time job and other life commitments. I would love the opportunity to participate in an artist residency, where I could dedicate uninterrupted time to a single project and truly see where the work takes me. I’m especially curious about how that kind of focused environment might push the boundaries of my process, elevate the quality of my work, or even shift the direction of my artistic voice.

More broadly, my mission as an artist is to remain open—to discovery, experimentation, growth, and, above all, curiosity. The goal is always to stay curious: to keep asking questions, to explore new perspectives, and to follow ideas wherever they lead. I see my creative journey not just as a pursuit of personal expression, but as a way to engage with the world more deeply, reflect on it honestly, and offer others a lens through which they might see things differently too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cutpasteface.com
• Instagram: cutpasteface

Image Credits

Brian Winston Fraser (headshot taken at Sure Things)
Kris P Visuals (group photo of collage workshop at Green Space Studios)