Mind-Blowing Modular Origami

Book excerpt: Modular origami is the latest craze in paper folding! These three-dimensional models are created from a number of small pieces of paper that are easily folded and then cleverly fit together to form a spectacular shape. They range from paper polyhedra to bristling buckyballs that are reminiscent of sea urchins--to ornate flower-like spheres. Each piece of paper is held by the tension of the other papers--demonstrating the remarkable hidden properties of paper, which is at the same time flexible but also strong! Author Byriah Loper has been creating modular origami sculptures for just five years, but in that time, he's pushed the upper limits of the art form with some of the largest, most complex geometric paper constructions ever assembled. While many geo-modular origami artists focus on creating dense floral spheres, Byriah has pioneered the open, linear "wire frame" approach, which results in a very complex-looking model that reveals the interior of its form. He exhibits his sculptures annually at the Origami USA convention in New York, and was recently a featured artist at the "Surface to Structure" exhibition at the Cooper Union gallery in the East Village. A great way to learn origami, the easy-to-follow diagrams and step-by-step instructions in this book show you how to fold the paper components and then assemble them to create 22 incredible models. Each model is a new challenge, and the paper sculptures you create look fantastic on your desk or shelf!