Origami Lightbulb
2021
Tracing Paper
7.5cm×10cm×7.5cm
The “Origami Lightbulb” is one of my earliest works where I attempted to express something beyond mere shape using the art of origami. At first glance, this piece appears to be nothing more than a simple sphere. However, when illuminated from behind, the form of a filament inside becomes visible, simulating the structure of a real lightbulb.
Before creating this “lightbulb,” I believed that origami was solely about folding paper to mimic the shape of an object, akin to drawing a sketch. Through this piece, however, I realized that by focusing on paper as a medium, I could achieve expressions unique to this material, expanding the possibilities of origami as an art form.
The difference between crafting a lightbulb out of glass and doing so with paper is not just the difference in materials but also in what can be expressed. While glass is almost entirely transparent, paper is opaque. However, with sufficiently thin paper, light can shine through, allowing what’s behind to be seen. Utilizing this property, I translated the essence of a real lightbulb—one that reveals its nature only when illuminated in the dark—into the medium of paper.
