Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander or Origamido Studio were our guests for May 2023 “Interview with an Expert” in Origamigos.
- Excerpt from Michael LaFosse & Richard Alexander’s Interview, including the importance of an origami interpreter and tips to teach origami.
- The full 75-min interview is published at Origamigos, our membership site. It includes stories about how the Origamido Studio was founded, meeting master Akira Yoshizawa in person, hand-made papers for origami, and several helpful and clear tips from Michael on how to begin designing your own origami models.
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Watch the complete interview!
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Michael LaFosse has been an origami artist for decades and is considered a leading authority and master of the art of paper folding.
An avid teacher, LaFosse co-founded the Origamido Studio, a learning center and design studio dedicated to the art of origami, and one of the only places in the world specializing in hand papermaking for the origami artist.
Michael LaFosse has taught origami in schools since 1972, and continues to work with teachers, artists, designers, and performers who incorporate origami into their professional activities.
A biologist by training, Michael’s best-known works are realistic origami animals and plants, folded from special, archival papers developed and produced at the Origamido Studio.
Origamido also produces folded art, jewelry, and commercial designs for a variety of international clients. Michael’s co-curated “Origami Now!”, a wildly popular, year-long exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Vanessa Gould prominently featured him in a Peabody Award-winning film, Between the Folds.
Richard Alexander co-founded the Origamido Studio with Michael LaFosse in 1996. He has been the chief papermaker, holding workshops since 2003, and is a frequent collaborator with other famous paper artists.
Richard holds a degree from Cornell University in biology (systems ecology), where he also studied landscape architecture and design. He has consulted with apparel, container, toy, and consumer product designers to incorporate folding theory into familiar daily-use objects.
After leaving a career in environmental biology, Richard worked with Michael to advance the art of origami by making custom handmade papers with other origami artists. He began videotaping Michael LaFosse’s original designs in 1991, and has authored / co-authored over 50 publications including printed pamphlet kits, hardcover books, and video origami and papermaking instructions.
Together, Alexander and LaFosse have created dozens of origami exhibitions, and over 70 books, kits, and videos about paper and paper arts.
Dancing with the Paper
The process of folding and then turning the paper to reposition it for comfort before the next fold is akin to a dance, and even more so when the paper is large and the maneuvers are performed in the air, rather than against a table surface. The fluidity of motion, and the changing relationships between the paper, the person, and the planet are enjoyable for the folder, and entertaining for spectators.~From The Essential Book of Origami by Michael Lafosseand Richard Alexander
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Here is the link for ORIGAMIDO Youtube Channel
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Books by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander
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- Here is a link to a review of the book ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES (Origami Spirit).
- For a full list of books published by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander, visit the Orgamido website.
Video Tutorials by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander
- Here is a link to Video Tutorials produced by Origamido Studio, which includes instructions for a butterfly similar to those in the photo below.
- Here is a link to a post on How to decorate paper to fold butterflies.
