Seattle Day Trip: Folding Paper Exhibit at Bellevue Arts Museum
July 26, 2014
Yesterday I travelled by bus across Lake Washington to see the origami exhibit at the Bellevue Arts Museum, which is an easy stroll from the Bellevue Transit Center. The exhibit, “Folding Paper: Infinite Possibilities of Origami,” runs through September 21st. I love papercraft of all kinds, and this exhibit showcases the intricacies and magic of folded paper. Many of the pieces on display were constructed from a single sheet of paper. I can’t begin to comprehend the vision, engineering skills, and artistry needed to create such amazing art objects. I was astounded and delighted by these imaginative works.
I learned that paper folding has real-life applications that go way beyond creating art objects. Scientists who want to transport large objects, like sun shields or telescope lenses, into space might engineer a folded apparatus to save space during the haul, only to be unfolded at its destination in space. Or doctors might transport tiny folded repair materials through a blood vessel, to be unfolded and applied as a heart stent. Think of the miraculous properties of the air bags in your car — another piece of origami-like engineering.
You can read more about the origami in this exhibit in a book, Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami by Meher McArthur and Robert J. Lang.
July 26, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Paper is so amazing!
July 28, 2014 at 5:51 pm
I managed an origami heart last valentine’s day. It took me three years of trying. For one thing, I don’t seem able to see in 3-D, or whatever it is. These are just amazing, and I’m sending the link to your post to my origami guru post-haste!
July 28, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Here via Shoreacre’s invitation, and so glad to see the origami pictures you posted! I use origami in my classroom as often as I can, and the children love it. They don’t even know they’re using listening skills as well as Math. I wish I could wear the dress and shoes pictured here the first day of school! 😉
July 29, 2014 at 1:17 am
Welcome! The dress was amazing. It reminded me of some of the creations on Project Runway — those where the contestants use “unconventional” materials. Very clever and high fashion, too.
November 1, 2014 at 4:41 am
Beautiful photographs. Origami is so fascinating. There is a movie about contemporary masters on Netflix that I watched (can’t recall the name offhand) that made me realize it’s a whole world unto itself. And it all begins with a single piece of paper and a vision. Lovely.
July 26, 2018 at 6:14 am
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