Signature Member Francene Levinson demonstrates her Folded Paper Sculpture

If you did not attend the General Meeting and demonstration on Wed June 10th, then you missed a facinating look into a very unique form of art.

Here you see Francene folding a piece of ordinary paper. She starts with a letter sized sheet and tears it into 10 small rectangles. These rectangles are then folded nine times to make a small triangle. Francene folds many thousands of these triangles in different colors before starting the assembly process. Many of her sculptures contain 3,000 or more pieces of folded paper. (See diagram below)

Chinese paper folding was probably invented in China. The art form was popularized in 1993 when a ship called the Golden Venture brought illegal Chinese immigrants into USA. While the Chinese refugees applied for political asylum, they were put in prison. To pass their time, the Chinese prisoners folded and assembled paper models. Some of the models were given as gifts to those who helped their cause.

To see more of Fran's work, visit her portfolio page.

Folding The Triangular Units

There are a variety of ways to make the basic triangular unit, but the method shown here is probably the most efficient in its use of paper. This is particularly important when you are making models that require hundreds of triangular units.

1. Start with a square sheet of paper and cut it into 4 strips. Fold the strips in half crosswise.
2. Fold the bottom-left and bottom-right edges up to meet the midline.
3. Turn the model over.
4. Fold the top-left and top-right corners towards the middle of the unit.
5. Fold the triangular tab down on both sides.
6. Fold the right side onto left side. The directionality is critical here. Do not fold the left side behind the right half.
7. When done, the unit should have two tabs and two pockets.