Twenty-Four Origami Preludes

Subject: Twenty-Four Origami Preludes

Paper: 7.5 cm. kami (24x)

Notes: Ever since coming up with the Dove (formerly the Five-Crease Bird) about a year ago, the idea for more models in that style kept running through my head. Most of the actual work on these, however, didn't begin until a couple months ago, shortly after the 2025 OrigamiUSA convention. Inspiration is fickle sometimes.

Though the preludes cover a diverse range of subjects, I stuck to a particular set of rules and general design idioms which run through every single one of these in some form:

1. Every model can be folded from a single 7.5 cm (3 in.) square of kami

2. Every model possesses curved surfaces while still adhering to rule 1; no foil or wet-folding required

3. The use of partial creases to achieve both 1 and 2

4. The general absence of exact landmarks, to cut down on the total number of folds per model

My intent was to take a rather overlooked medium in modern origami and push it to its limits, technically and aesthetically. These don't have to be made from kami–any found paper will suffice, as long as it's small and has good crease retention. I conceived several of these with random papers I had lying around. But more than a few are intended for kami and take advantage of the two colors.

Finally, I will be making diagrams for these eventually! Watch out for those whenever they show up. But until then, I'd like to challenge anyone reading this to reconstruct as many preludes as they can without knowing the exact folding sequences. All twenty-four preludes are shown individually in greater detail below. Some of the three-dimensionality is admittedly lost in the photos, which is perhaps a motivation for me to actually write those diagrams quickly:

I. Dove