Today I got a reminder of the importance of knowing one’s craft. This lesson came from a paper folding demonstration.
Today J, my wife, was working on a translation job today. This meant K, my daughter, and I needed to spend some quality time together – outside the house. We went to Porter X Japan and soaked up the atmosphere at this festival featuring Japan-centric arts and crafts, music, and martial arts demonstrations.
K and I stopped at the origami, or “paper folding”, table for a demonstration. As far as I knew origami was something kids did to amuse themselves. The young woman behind the counter made a cat for K that she said was good for kids. It was, you know, “cute” and right in line with my expectations.
However, we slid down the table and got to see the work of Brian Chan.
Wow!
It turns out that Chan is a PhD student at MIT. He’s been doing origami since the age of 7.
Clearly, in the hands of someone with the right skill, dedication, and determination, the simplest concept can blossom into a powerful statement.
Philip
Philip
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