Do you remember the first time you made a paper plane? Or folded a paper crane for good luck? Do you remember the excitement you felt as you accomplished the difficult task of making art with nothing but a sheet of paper and your bare hands?
Lladró’s colourful Origami collection is inspired by the ancient Japanese art of paper folding.
Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, is often thought of as a childhood pastime, but it is also a complex form of artistic expression. At its core, origami is simply the folding of paper into any design and generally involves folding intricately decorated squares of paper, without the use of glue, scissors, or any other tools. With a few simple folds, anyone can make stunning origami designs, but aside from looking beautiful, the art of making origami can teach us skills and life lessons that go far beyond the act of folding paper.
Keep reading to learn four of the most valuable pieces of wisdom Origami can teach us.
The Origami panther comes in a wide range of colours, including this metallic silver!
BE PATIENT AND PERSEVERE
Some of the most important skills that origami teaches us are those of patience and perseverance. Despite seeming simple at first, origami can be challenging or confusing, but continuing with a task even in the face of struggle or frustration can be extremely rewarding, a lesson that becomes immediately obvious when you persevere through the complex art of origami and finally make your first intricate paper creation. Following the steps of making origami also requires patience, as rushing ahead to complete the piece quickly can lead to missed instructions, without which the creation will not turn out the way you want. This teaches us that in life it is important to be patient - as they say “good things come to those who wait”.
YOUR ACTIONS CAN’T BE UNDONE
Another important life lesson that we can learn through origami is that our actions can never be fully undone or reversed. One of the best parts of making origami is that if you make a mistake, you can just unfold the paper and try again. But when you do this, the paper can never return to its original unfolded form, the fold will always leave a crease. The same applies to our words and actions. When we act without thinking or do something hurtful, it can be easy to think that an apology or kind gesture will make everything okay. But in fact, that action can never be undone, and the consequences of it will remain with us - all the more reason to do right the first time.
IT’S OKAY TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOING BACKWARD
With that being said, although our actions can never be fully undone, sometimes in origami it is necessary to make a fold and then unfold it to create a guide for the next fold necessary in creating the piece. This is an important reminder that although sometimes we might feel as though we’re moving backward in life, learning from our mistakes is still progress, and in some cases can be exactly what we need to get to where we want to be.
Lladró’s Origami Elephant is angular in design - mimicking the creases of paper.
THE SMALLEST ACTIONS MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
Finally, origami teaches us that the smallest actions in life can have the biggest impact. Origami in its most basic form is simply the act of folding paper. It doesn’t require any tools, extra supplies, or special skills. You literally only need a square of paper and your hands, but just by making some simple folds in this paper you can create intricate, complex, and stunning works of art. The important lesson here is that even when you think your actions may not be helping a situation, the smallest act repeated many times can turn into something beautiful.
Lladró’s Origami collection is a contemporary interpretation of this ancient art, where various animals are reimagined in an angular, geometric form, inspired by the complex folds of Japanese origami figurines. The collection includes a wide range of animals handcrafted in porcelain by talented Lladró artisans, including three new release pieces - Origami Elephant in Blue, Origami Panther in Silver, and the Origami Bull.
The brand new Origami Bull is Lladró’s latest addition to the collection.
Contact our team for more information.