WHAT IS ORIGAMI UP TO A Look at the Evolution of

Origami Designs in the last 70

NOW? years
A BIT ABOUT ME
 President of Sydney Origami Inc.
 Folding since primary school – taught by Grandma, uncle and other
kids at school
 Practiced origami on and off during school years but rediscovered
folding in the last 15 years
 Started designing origami in the last 4 years
 Mostly self taught
Modern Origami
 1950’s onward

 Worldwide movement, not just Japan

 Explosion of new designs and techniques, assisted by technology and

mathematics
1950’s to 1970’s
 A period of development of new models across the world:

 Japan – Akira Yoshizawa – the Grand Master

 US – Neal Elias, Samuel Randlett, Patricia Crawford
 UK – Robert Harbin
 South America - Vincente Palacios, Ligia Montoya

 Expanding the use of traditional bases, and also box-pleating (new grid
based system for folding)
1950’s to 1970’s

 Geometric Origami – not well known in the origami world until after
the 1980’s.

 Japan: Mitsunobu Sonobe, Shuzo Fujimoto, Yoshihide Momotani

 USA: Ron Resch, David Huffman
1980’s
 Emergence of mathematical approaches to designs

 Increasing complexity

 Emergence of academic research into origami techniques and

mathematics
John Montroll
Jun Maekawa
Peter Engel
1990’s to 2000’s
 Global Interactions – when the world came together

 Japan Origami Academic Society and Origami Tanteidan

 Bug Wars
 Internet

 Further developments in the mathematical approaches to

designing origami
Jun Maekawa’s Flying
Kabutomushi (Samurai Helmet
Beetle)
Toshiyuki Meguro’s Long
Legged Wasp
Robert Lang’s Beetles
Eric Joisel
 Last 15 years
 Supercomplex Origami

 Stylised Origami

 Combining geometric origami with representational origami

 Curved Folding

 Computational Origami

 Moving away from paper

Supercomplex Origami
Satoshi Kamiya
Supercomplex Origami
Robert Lang
Robert Lang’s Beetles from
the 90’s
Supercomplex Origami
Supercomplex Origami
Shuki Kato
Stylised Origami
Giang Dinh
Stylised Origami
Eric Joisel
Geometric with Representational
Beth Johnson
Geometric with Representational
Joel Cooper
Curved Folding
Philip Chapman Bell
Curved Folding
Ekaterina Lukusheva
Computational Origami
Tomohiro Tachi
Curved Folding + Computational
Origami
Jun Mitani
Curved Folding + Computational
Origami
Robbie Kraft
Other Material – Metal and
Concrete
Ilan Garibi
Other Material – Wood and Fabric
Tom Crain
Other Material – Fabric and Leather –
North American Smocking
Adrienne Sack and Madonna Yoder
Other Material – Fabric
Chris Palmer
Other Material – Robotics
Matthew Gardiner
Other Material – 3d Printed
Composite Material
Matthew Gardiner
Where to from now?

?
Folding Australia 2020

National Origami Convention

Date: 8 and 9 Aug 2020

Place: Harold Park Community Hall
(above the Tramshed at Glebe)

Special Guest: Prof. Jun Mitani

Curved Folding + Computational
Origami
Jun Mitani
Thank you for coming

My Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/leung_wwy

Sydney Origami:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrigamiSYD/
Other Material – 3d Printed
Composite Material
Matthew Gardiner
Other Material – Oribotics
Matthew Gardiner