Curved Origami Sculpture

by Erik Demaine and Martin Demaine

Paper folds itself into a natural equilibrium form depending on its creases. These equilibria are poorly understood, especially for curved creases. We are exploring what shapes are possible in this genre of self-folding origami, with applications to deployable structures, manufacturing, and self-assembly. This transformation of flat paper into swirling surfaces creates sculpture that feels alive.

	Computational Origami (2008)	MoMA permanent collection MoMA exhibits in 2008 & 2008–2009
	Waves (2009)	Art Cézar, 2009
	Pushing Curves to the Limit (2009)	Peel Gallery, 2009–2010
	Natural Cycles (2010)	Joint Mathematics Meetings, 2010
	Waves in Glass (2010)

History of Curved Origami Sculpture

There is a surprisingly old history to curved origami sculpture, going back to the 1920s at the Bauhaus. You can read our partial history focusing on the earliest known references.