Sabine Thornau, born in Marburg in 1957, grew up in the creative environment of a tailor's studio and developed a love for colours and shapes at an early age. After training as a glass painter at the Hadamar State Glass College and studying colour design at the IACC in Salzburg, she founded a studio for paper art and objects in 1986. She collaborates with artists and authors, realizes her own book projects and produces paper objects.

Her works have been exhibited in numerous countries, including Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Slovenia and Bulgaria. Thornau organises international exhibitions and gives seminars and workshops in Europe. She has lectureships in France and Finland and has been a member of the IAPMA (International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists) since 2002.