Origami in Drama

Origami is everywhere. For the breakfast coffee the paper filter is folded at the edge, you mother makes your ham sandwich folding a piece of ham in half, a tri-fold letter for envelope to enclose, a newspaper to fold many ways, ooops my drier is ending soon and my shirts and pants are waiting to be folded. Fashion designers fold sleeves and pockets, engineers fold solar panels and airbags, doctors fold stints for heart surgery, bakers fold bread dough, kids fold kites, mathematicians fold geometry... and more.

Theater is no exception. Rajiv Joseph’s, a young playwright, a Pulitzer Prize finalist with "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, made a new crease to his work.  "Animals Out of Paper" is so much to do with origami. I heard about this play several years ago in New York City, played by Second Play Theater. Then it hit San Francisco and other cities, such as my city Sarasota, FL.


 It is about people who folded love and troubles in Origami. Main character's home/studio is filled with origami models. The Banyan Theater contacted my local origami group to make them.


In the photo I'm holding T-rex and horse. Jean's gotta Gorilla, then Frank at the bottom is holding magnificent Hawk. Judy in red, on the bottom photo, contacted Robert Lang to give us tips for the Hawk. Many thanks to him and also Jeremy Shafer to share his experience working with theater. Whew, we did it! 

Complex Origami Models

At the end of my last show an advanced origami folder asked me what to fold next.  I recommended to check Mr. Robert Lang's origami models.

He's one of the top runners to the modern Origami. Many years ago at origami convention I saw his origami beetle. The details were unbelievable and it took me a while to believe this was only from a sheet of paper.

The New Yorker magazine featured him.   http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/02/19/070219fa_fact_orlean

Dr.Lang is an aclaimed scientist and made a presentation at TED, talking about Origami connection with math, science and design. Origami is moving forward rapidly.
The video clip is 16 minutes.
Enjoy!

Origami Game

Do you know what a creasing pattern is? It's a creasing pattern, what else could that be? When you unfold something you folded, you see creasing lines and that design could be a pattern. Well, in origami term creasing pattern is an wild thing to see. For example when you see a magnificent flower origami, by looking at it can you visualize what the creasing pattern could be? That's what this game is about.

I enjoyed it a lot. How many correct answer did you get?

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/between-the-folds/match-the-folds.html

Origami in Fahion 2

One of my favorite designer, Issey Miyake, makes your closet exciting. Fold your dress into origami! ...or origami into a dress?

Origami in Fashion

Origami is in! I see fashion with origami more than ever. 

 These are created by Tine De Ruysser, phD student in Londo, developed a “wearable metal oragmi” by fusing copper plates to fabric. The next images shows how her origami bracelet transforms into a bag.

  Money is like a piece of gold, then money can be a jewelry ; )

OAPN Showcase Origami

I'm showcasing at OAPN annual conference in Hyatt, Columbus Ohio on October 25. If you are there, please check my new origami works with my storytelling at 11 AM.

Today I played with my origami flowers and here's my digital art piece of it.

And I will be showing you a part of this at the OAPN exhibition booth. My super agent, Liz Silverstein with Siegel Artist, are looking forward to see you soon.

Origami USA's Award

I received Florence Tempo Award from Origami USA in 2007. It has been a while but it was a great experience and it covered the front page for "The Paper", Origami USA's quarterly magazine. I meant to post this article it up here long time ago. I'm very grateful.

Origami in SyFy Channel

I don't watch TV these days but one of my origami friend spotted origami in this video from SyFy channel. It's directed by Oliver Gondry whose brother is Michael Gondry, film director of "The Science of Sleep" (one of my favorite movie).

Please click the screen for better view.

Origami USA Convention

I went to 3 days of paper folding jubilee of Origami USA Convention on June 25-28. It's the annual convention and origami folks and artists from all over the world gather at Fashion Institute of Technology in the heart of New York city.
I arrived early and walked around from the theater district and found the new David Mamet play on 47th street at Barrymore Theater. If you are interested seeing the play like I did, here's information.
http://www.raceonbroadway.com/#/




Walked down 5th avenue and small shops caught my eyes on 27th street. A leather shop was filled with colors and textures. I went in and bought a thin white leather piece to make an origami rose.


Continued to walk on 27th street to Origami USA convention. Here's the place.


Fashion Institute of Technology is a perfect place for the convention. The classrooms for workshop, the great hall for a big gathering and the exhibition hall for the origami gallery; we all use the most out of it.

In the origami gallery, each origami artist had a table or a wall to exhibit their artwork. One of the highlight was by Roy T. Iwaki. His curves on foldings were astonishing.


There were flowers, masks, geometric designs and some super-heroes. I spent all day folding with new origami artists and exchanging folding ideas with my usual origami friends. Origami USA welcome all folks from beginners to professionals. Are you interested in going next year? Check their website: http://www.origami-usa.org/.

Between The Fold - unfolded

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The documentary film of origami "Between The Folds" is now available on DVD and it was played by PBS in this winter. You can see 3 clips from PBS website.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/between-the-folds/film.html

Often time origami is to talk about Japanese tradition and the root of art form. It's time to talk about new origami, amazing mix of science, math and art. The film unfolds the amazing possibilities of paper folding, sought by origami artist among the world.

Whether you are into origami or not, the film shows many creative origami models, which are fun to see and make you want to fold something!

12 Scenes of Origami

Origamiをテーマにした私の新しいショーは、私がオリガミを作ったり、他のアーティストの作品をみて、
楽しんで、驚いて、魔法にかかるような感動から始りました。特に１９８０年以降は新しいデザインの連続で、エキサイティングな魔法でした。


Origami is magical, especially I'm fascinated with modern origam.
I created my new show The Village of Origami. First it was Origami Tales but I had troubles with origami dragon, lost in flight, destroyed in traveling and etc. I renewed my all origami setting and this time it's better, exciting and more durable!
In this blog page I'd like to show you the 12 scenes of origami that inspired me endlessly.

日本の宇宙科学研究所の三浦氏はソーラーアレーを有効に折り込むためオリガミデザインを使った。オリガミはどんな大きな平面であっても折り込むことで、小さくしてしまうことができる。私は、それが美しくかつエレガントに思えたりする。

Japanese Astrophysicist Koryo Miura invented Miura-Fold to fold solar array forspace satellites in the Japanese 1995 Space Flight Unit[. The fold can also be unpacked in just one motion by pulling on opposite ends of the folded material, and likewise folded again by pushing the two ends back together The idea is beautiful and elegant.




「折」という字は、「祈」に似ている。祈りをこめて折る、広島、、、。

In Japanese Kanji writing fold is 折 and the prayers is 祈. They are very similar. Fold as you pray ... that's Hirosima.

ひとつ折るだけで、光と影が生まれる。
All you need is one fold. Look there's light and shadow!

なんでもない幾何学デザインに光をあてると、、、
Put a light to your origami tesselation .....



ガリアーニの服、Ｓａｎｄｒａ　Ｂａｃｋｌｕｎｄのデザインはおもしろい。
Check origami in fashion in Dior '07 collection designed by John Galliano and also Sandra Backlund


オリガミは楽しい。

Origami is fun!

その可能性は無限で、楽しさも無限だったりする。
The possibility of origami is infinite.

そして何よりも、オリガミは限りなくシンプルなデザインで始まった。
Origami - so much to see but the beginning was very simple.

Origami Book Review: Hawaiian Style Money Folds

Money is cute, if you fold! There have been several books published for money fold and this book is my favorite. Each design has distinctive fold to make the best of dollar bill prints. For example the awl's eyes look square but if you look at the very center, it's a round shape like eye pupil. And I like the [O] in the middle of its tummy.

The author, Jodi Fukumoto, thought this out. Money fold is perfect for gift so why don't I put envelopes and boxes origami models ? The viewers do not need to think about gift wrapping.

Here's details of this book:

The Guide to Hawaiian-Style Money Folds

By Jodi Fukumoto

Published: 2003 by Island Heritage
Pages: 127
Binding: Hardcover/spiral-bound
Language: English
ISBN: 0896104141

I recommend this book for someone who can paper cranes or so. The instruction is good but if you are buying this book for your first book, you might find it difficult to follow.

For educators you will find the way to introduce Hawaii with this book. Fukumoto has another origami book "The Guide To Hawaiian Style Origami", which use ordinary paper instead of dollar bill.

Origami short film

I think this is made with the heart of Origami.
It's warm, it's to feel and it's magical.
Hope you enjoy it, too.

Info: Origami Workshop

My Origami Workshop is a 45-90 minutes hands-on class for grade K-12. The class size limited to 30 students. For more information about this workshop please vist
http://www.kunikotheater.com/workshops.cfm.


Room setting:

A regular classroom with tables and chairs is the ideal setting. Otherwise please arrange the room as it follows,

-Each student needs a flat surface (desk or table) and a chair.
-Please arrange desk/table so that they are facing the front of the classroom with an aisle in the midle
-Avoid a room near a source of noise such as music class, gym or cafeteria


Purchasing origami paper:

- The origami paper we need for the class is 6" square, one side is colored and the reverse side is white. If you'd like to use your stock or regular copier paper, please let me know.
- If you'd like me to provide the origami paper, it will be 50 cents per student.
-The following are suggested website for those of you who prefer to purchase origami paper on your own. Please order 5 sheets per students.You can also purchase origami at most local arts and craft stores.

6" square origami paper (one side colored and back side is white)
***a package of 250 sheets
http://origamipapersandbooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_25_32&products_id=320

***a package of 65 sheets
http://origamipapersandbooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_25_32&products_id=197


The links above change from time to time. Please let me know if the link is broken.

Happy folding!
Kuniko