Drawstring Origami
The Sunday Paper #544
February 23, 2025
I had a lovely conversation with Darryl Bedford on Paper Talk, an Australian artist and innovator, who is redefining the possibilities of paper. Blending traditional origami with cutting-edge digital design, he crafts intricate, kinetic sculptures that challenge our perception of this humble material. Born in Perth, Australia, and now based in London. Darryl is a teacher, Apple Distinguished Educator, trauma-informed practitioner, and paper engineer. His passion for paper extends beyond aesthetics; he believes in its therapeutic potential, using it to connect individuals with the natural world and promote well-being. Enjoy our conversation!
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Have you heard of risograph printing? A risograph printer looks like a photocopier, but works as a screen printer; using rich spot colours and stencils to create tactile and vibrant prints. Howful Editions has created a collection of products that aims to bring “a touch of extraordinary to everyday life” in the form of beautiful paper crafts, prints, stationery and daily items.
HOWFUL Studio: Comfy Project Card (Copyright © HOWFUL Co., Ltd, 2024)
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Here’s an engineering feat using paper folding methods (bonus, it is a single-sheet design). I love what professor Glaucio Paulino says about experimentation and product development, which echos what I say frequently to participants in my classes. “The work grew out of an earlier experiment with a folding structure that did not work…. but the ability to make informed mistakes can be rewarding. When you have an idea, most of the time it does not work, but sometimes, when you make a mistake, it generates something interesting.”
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The rhythmic snip-snip-snip of her scissors fills the quiet atmosphere, creating intricate patterns that tell stories of ancient traditions, family tales and the ever-present beauty of rural China. Yu Zeling is a master of the ancient art of Ansai paper-cutting, a practice dating back more than 2,000 years. She is passing down knowledge to younger generations with scissors in one hand and inspiration in the other.
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This is a great reuse story about a papery product: Tyvek. When artist Kersten Harries was cleaning out the house she bought in Sleepy Hollow, NY, she found a closet full 450 Tyvek (priority mail) envelopes. She tried to return them, but the post office wouldn’t take them back, and they couldn’t be recycled. Click through to read what she’s done with them.
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Paper Tidbits
- We’ll be folding paper at the Red Cliff Paper Retreat in August (August 18-22, three spots left)
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