Fine pieces of art from paper

Unique Hobbies

I fold any piece of paper that I get,” informs Krishna Panyam, who has been pursuing origami as a hobby for a long time now. This passion of his started when he, as a child, used to fold a piece of paper to make an aeroplane or a boat. But it was much later, when he came across a book on origami that he fell in love with the art of folding paper.

“About a decade ago, I saw a book about origami. I then read a lot about it and started practising it at home. Soon, I started practising it and now it has become a passion. Whenever I am free, I can be seen folding paper,” says Krishna, who is a software engineer.

He says one can fold practically everything — from newspapers and wedding cards to small sheets of papers.

“You can even make a human face and an animal’s face. Currently, I am making owls and there is no limit to it. There are easy models and there are difficult ones. For instance, the jumping frog is a very easy model and requires only a couple of minutes to make it. It is very popular among kids and I am sure many of them will know how to make it. I can also make figures in many versions, a paper version or with a thicker paper, like a visiting card,” he adds.

Krishna rues that not many children show an interest in the art form. “Despite the fact that it is immensely popular, most kids don’t go beyond a particular level. They take a lot of interest in folding a piece of paper, making boats, aeroplanes and other simple things but this interest vanishes when they are a little older. A large sheet of newspaper can be used to make a lot of things. Paper cups, fliers, cereal boxes, soap boxes etc can also be used to make a host of things,” he says.

He goes on to say that he uses all the free time he has to fold bits and pieces of paper and loves doing it. “It is a great stress buster and you don’t necessarily need anything for it. A piece of paper is all that is required and you can do wonders with it. I have folded and made things from bus tickets when I am on a bus. It’s a brilliant way to utilise your time,” he says.

He also informs that origami can play a big role in developing the mind and mathematical skills of children and adults alike.

“Origami is actually very scientific and involves a lot of geometry. The way in which we divide a paper has its basis in geometry. Also, there is a lot of calculation that I do when I make different things. This can help in improving the capacity to calculate. For instance, there is a particular method in which I fold a piece of paper if I have to divide it in five parts. Also, it is easy to construct a pentagon out of a square piece of paper and using a pair of compasses and other tools. But there is a specific method in origami for this,” he says.

One of the more complicated and difficult things which he has done is Chris Palmer’s ‘Flower Tower’.

“It is a moving object and can be described as a flower, which turns into a tower-like structure. It is fairly difficult and takes more time than the others. Of late, I have inspired many people to take up origami though they are not as involved or passionate as I am. They do it because the outcome is beautiful. My son has taken it up and makes things pretty frequently. My father has also taken to it and does it in his free time,” he sums up.