FOLDING PAPER

Folding Paper is the first major exhibition to explore the rich tradition of paper folding in Japan and Europe, its evolution from children's craft to fine art, and its inventive applications in science, design, and the global peace movement. Approximately 140 spectacular works by more than 50 artists from 15 different countries demonstrate that origami has become such a refined form of artistic, scientific, and spiritual expression there is almost nothing a square sheet of paper cannot be folded into. The works range from lifelike and representational to mathematical and computer-generated to lyrical and abstract to social and political. The exhibition also includes origami-related woodblock prints, murals, books, wall projections, videos, and a unique interactive origami-making component. The exhibition is organized into 4 sections: 1) The History of Origami; 2) Animals and Angels: Representations of Real and Imagined Realms; 3) Angles and Abstractions: Geometric Forms and Conceptual Constructions; and 4) Inspirational Origami: Impact on Science, Industry, Fashion, and Beyond. Folding Paper was developed by independent curator, author, and educator Meher McArthur, former curator of East Asian Art at Pacific Asia Musuem in Pasadena, California. The exhibition will debut in Los Angeles at the Japanese American National Museum in March 2012. The award-winning documentary film, Between the Folds, features 18 of the artists in the exhibition and would correlate wonderfully with exhibition programming. Folding Paper is a dynamic exhibition with a compelling message: origami is an international fine art form that is also at the cutting edge of math, science, and design. The exhibition was generously supported by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.