Paper & folding

Akira Yoshizawa

Akira Yoshizawa: learn about the artist and his influence on modern origami. Life from 1911 to 2005. Expressive models and shared folding diagrams.

Akira Yoshizawa (1911–2005) was a Japanese artist whose work helped shape modern origami. His influence reaches both the appearance of folded models and the way instructions are drawn.

Paper & folding reference3 sections

Expression in folded paper

Yoshizawa helped bring origami to international attention. He developed wet folding, using dampened paper to create softer, more natural-looking forms. In 1983 he received Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun.

Helping folders share diagrams

His publications used action arrows that conveyed the motion of the paper. Robert Harbin and Samuel Randlett studied and extended these conventions. Their shared notation helped people exchange increasingly involved folding sequences.

Read, look, then try a traditional model

Read our symbols guide Explore origami’s history Fold the traditional crane Fold the traditional dog face

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