Frequently asked questions ❔
How long have you been doing Hanakami for?
A. I started making origami from flower petals around 2015-2016, so it's been a long journey since the start, including the time I spent working out the process and techniques involved.
Are you inspired by any particular origamist? If so, who and why?
A. I am inspired by both traditional (e.g. Akira Yoshizawa) and modern origamists (e.g. Robert Lang) in how they push the boundaries of what is possible, and how deeply they think about their craft. But in terms of inspiration for hanakami, I was inspired by artists that work with natural materials like Limzy and Bridget Beth Collins because they made think about how I can work with this material in origami. In terms of origami's connection to mental health, I was inspired by George Ho's work related to Origami in Mental Health and Therapy as well as John Smith's writing on various topics related to origami.
What is the smallest Hanakami crane that you have ever created? Do you use any tools?
A. It is hard to measure precisely, but the size of the squares I start with range from 8mm to 1.5cm. Most of the hanakami cranes I have made from rose petals are probably around 1cm from wing tip to wing tip, and similarly from orchid petals. Other than a scalpel (and a straight edge) to cut the dried and pressed petal into squares, I don't use any tools.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years as an origamist?
A. I am sure I will still be folding flowers, and hopefully tried a few more varieties by then. I also hope that the application of origami techniques to mental health and well-being will have become more mainstream, and I can contribute to this movement.
What would you recommend to a person who has never done origami before and wants to get started?
A. A lot of the frustration I see from beginners come from treating origami diagram like instructions. Think of it as a puzzle and don't stress too much if you are unable to get to the end. The key is to find someone who can solve puzzles in a similar way as you, or show you new ways to think about the problem.
What type flower do you like to work with the most?
A. I think the beauty of hanakami is that every flower petal is unique, and there is no guarantee that you'll be able to complete an origami model, or that the origami model will last forever. Having said that, I have always wondered if I could work with flowers with naturally occurring bioluminescent properties, although I don't think autogenic bioluminescence in flowers have been discovered yet. You can try some genetically modified ones that have been created like Firefly Petunias.
Do you work with materials other than flower petals?
A. I actually started by using plain A4 sheets of paper, and as I began making smaller models and experimenting with different materials, I have folded origami models with other types of 'paper' before settling on flower petals. These include receipt paper, aluminum foil, baking paper and tosa tengu (extremely thin washi paper - see images below)