When I was just a wee kid, I had a set of origami which came with a book of instructions. The designs were very simple and uncomplicated as befitting origami for children. However we know that origami can be created into very unimaginable shapes. The only limit is our imagination and there is no end to origami creativity. Adults and kids alike enjoy origami as a hobby. Yesterday afternoon, I attended the 3D Origami Lecture & Workshop By Professor Mitani Jun at Sunway University. The original room in which the lecture was to be held had to be changed to accommodate the growing audience. People kept streaming in every minute even when we’d moved to a bigger room and the organiser had to keep bringing in chairs and tables. The lecture and workshop was organised by the Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur.

Prof. MitaniI Jun is a Japan Cultural Envoy for the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan and he is from the computer science department at the Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba. He combines various paper folding methods such as multiple folds, where a regular pattern is folded repeatedly, and curved folds to create shapes that were not possible in traditional origami. He shows that origami is not simply a pastime but has tremendous potential in the fields of art and 3D polygonal design by exposing participants to the techniques of “3D Origami.”

The word “origami” originates from ORI (fold) and KAMI or GAMI (paper). Professor Mitani talked about Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005), origamist and grandmaster of origami as his contribution to origami is unsurpassed. He created diagram tutorials so that everyone interested in origami can follow.

It was interesting to see the children in the lecture room listening intently to Professor Mitani. Origami is an art that will unleash every child’s creativity. I doubt I can even fold a paper crane but the children in that room have such potential.