Lexus and the UK-based Japanese artist Coco Sato are encouraging people to turn their hand to the Japanese art of Origami (paper-folding) and to make it as easy as possible, they’ve provided some simple to follow guides.
The first time I came across the Japanese art of Origami was in 1982, sat in a smokey cinema watching Edward James Olmos folding paper into exquisite animals in the Blade Runner movie. Since then, I’ve always fancied giving it a try but didn’t know where to begin.
Thinking back, I did have a brief foray into the world of paper-folding while at school in the early 80s. Back then, I used to make paper creations consisting of four pyramid shapes where I’d put two fingers and two thumbs inside, sing a non-descript ditty and open a fold revealing a secret message.
Strictly speaking, calling what I created at school origami would probably be a little insulting to the traditional art form, therefore I am going to consider it paper-art!
What I really need to take the next step is some professional guidance.
Fortunately, Coco Sato and Lexus have made learning the art super-simple with some simple to follow guides.
In the guides, you’ll learn how to make a cat, origami butterfly and origami leaf. In addition to these, Coco’s also created a series of videos showcasing some of the techniques she uses.
The guides have been ordered with the simplest first. They begin with the relatively simple cat, followed by the slightly more difficult leaf and finally, once you’ve honed your skills, the more complex butterfly.
Sato’s video tutorials are available to watch on the Lexus UK blog, here and they are also available in downloadable PDF form from the site.
About Coco Sato
Coco was born in Tokyo and studied in the UK at Central St Martins art and design college in London. She draws her artistic inspiration from everyday Japanese life, and her motivation is borne from a belief in the power of individuals coming together to make a statement, create a movement or bring about positive change.
You can see more of her work on her social media channels along with a variety of tutorials all centred around making people think with their hands.
Read more art-related articles in our dedicated section here.