Origami

The word "origami" consists of oru (to fold) and kami (paper.) So, origami is paper folding. However, those who emphasize the aspect of origami as the puzzle tend to dismiss that. They reduce the paper to mere geometrical shapes such as the square or the rectangle, and the folds to mere geometrical manipulations.

If we reflect on Japanese classical origami, we cannot say that origami consists in only geometry. Many models of Edo era are based on the characteristics of washi. For example, we cannot fold Catfish, Water Lilly, or Sembazuru with Western paper without tearing it, whereas we easily can with washi. Moreover, the point of ceremonial origami is not to make the shapes but to express folder's sincerity.

Since 1950s, Yoshizawa Akira has searched into the expression of folding paper, and demonstrated that origami has the potential to be a fine art. He has enhanced the expressiveness of origami and had a great influence on today's artistic origami. His works not only represent the appearance of the objects, but also show emotional expression. They are not lifelike. They live their own lives.

In 1960s, Uchiyama Koko created Kamon-ori or Flower Pattern Folding. It produces abstract patterns based on geometrical expansion of Tato. Abstract origami itself was not new. In fact, it dates back to Fröbelian origami of forms of beauty. But, he shaped unique art works by folding multi-layered washi dyed by himself.

Folders of artistic origami bring out the potential expression of the paper. Therefore, choosing paper is important. In addition, they often work on paper and improve its expressiveness. Uchiyama's Kamon-ori is an excellent example. Yoshizawa innovated wet-folding by damping paper before folding. He also tried the expression using cut edges of paper. Moreover, Michael LaFosse makes paper himself.

The works of artistic origami are folded paper. So, the creativity is attributed to both the designers and folders, and the appreciation to the viewers. The sequences or the crease patterns themselves are not the object of appreciation. In addition, there is no reproducibility in artistic origami, because the same sequence produce the different works with different types of paper or different folders.

Today, Western folders are more active in artistic origami. The exponents of abstract origami would be Jean-Claude Correia, Paul Jackson, and Vincent Floderer, and those of representative origami would be Eric Joisel, Michael LaFosse, and Giang Dinh.

In this app you will find tutorials : Bird, Jumping Frog, Pelica, Crown, Ladybug, Hat, Horse, Dragon, Twirling Bird, Flapping Bird...