Origami – An Introduction

Origami, the Japanese art form of paper folding, is said to have evolved in Japan. The ancient craft of origami might have actually originated in China where papermaking was developed and some of the oldest paper models are found. The Japanese adopted it and it has now become a unique part of their tradition.

An Overview of Origami

The beauty of origami lies in the intricate art of folding paper to create different shapes and forms out of it, making it a unique form of expression.
Origami is widely popular in the world because of the easy accessibility of paper and ease of creating shapes out of it.

Like any other art form, origami art uses various techniques and methods to give paper a new form. The origami artist or artisan is typically called the “paper folder”. Origami involves folding paper using defined set of rules. Since the technique of achieving desired shapes is folding, it has evolved from simple folds to highly complex folds. There are folds that are called basic folds like, kite base, the fish base, the bird base, and the frog base, which are used to make shapes that are more complex.

These names and shapes indicate that many paper folders are inspired by nature and love creating models of animals. Besides these shapes, they also create models of almost all physical objects like plants, vehicles, and buildings. Some paper folders also create abstract and mathematical forms. Some specialize in complex modular origami where they assemble copies of a certain shape to create larger structures or form.

Why The World Loves Origami

Diverse group of people such as artists, scientists, therapists, practices origami, etc. Many see it as a great hobby and as a way of expressing themselves through artistic creativity. Scientists and mathematician study the geometry of origami and architects explore its beauty for practical use in creating beautiful structures. Therapists have found it a good alternative therapy for their patients and teachers use it to help their students learn about nature, birds, animals etc.

Origami has become so popular that it is now practiced the world over. In the 16th century, paper folding became popular in France and Spain. Early in the 20th century, people started experimenting with spiral and curved shapes. New techniques like wet folding were introduced so that the paper holds its shape better and longer.

To promote it, The American Museum of Natural History in New York has decided to erect a Christmas tree decorated with many different origami shapes such as crabs, lobsters, birds, turtles and dinosaurs.

From its humble beginnings as an alternative to cutting paper, Origami has indeed come a long way!

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