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Origami Artist Creates Charming Animals with Unique Wet Folding Technique

Hoang Tien Quyet has been folding paper ever since he was a kid. Amazed at how a flat sheet of paper could transform into a three dimensional object, he kept up the practice as he got older and eventually joined a Vietnam Origami Group forum. It was there that he met many friends who shared the same passion, and they inspired him to try a lesser-known technique called wet folding. Quyet now uses it to create charming animal figures like roosters, lions, foxes, and more.

Wet folding was pioneered by the late origami master Akira Yoshizawa. As the name suggests, water is involved, and it's used to soften the paper during the folding process. The results are flowing, curved creases with rounded forms. But despite the malleable appearance, the creations are often rigid and shell-like.

The unconventional technique is a perfect fit for Quyet, as it produces elegant, fluid creatures that have an incredible presence. “I like working with new and fresh ideas, and always try to breathe life and my personality into my models,” he writes. “I hope people can also feel that from my work.”

Hoang Tien Quyet Tumblr and Flickr
via [The Huffington Post and Robert J. Lang Origami]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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