Akira Yoshizawa

Akira Yoshizawa , Born in Tochigi, the March 14, 1911, died on March 14, 2005 in Tokyo. It was a remarkable teacher of Japanese origami. He is credited with having raised the origami from simple crafts or hobbies to their artistic condition, making it one of the "fathers of origami" .1 According to its own estimate of 1989 had created more than 50,000 models of which only a few hundred designs were published in his eighteen books. In the purest tradition of origami, for their designs he never used scissors, glue or additional ornaments to figuras.1

Throughout his career, Yoshizawa work carried out international cultural ambassador for Japan. In 1983, Japanese Emperor Hirohito awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, one of the highest honors you can receive a Japanese citizen.

The March 14, 2012 Akira Yoshizawa was honored by the Google company with a commemorative doodle of the 101st anniversary of his birth and 7 of its death.2

He became interested in origami at the age of four when his mother being sick, a neighbor gave a figure of origami paper made periódico.3 He moved with his family to Tokyo at the age of thirteen. During World War II he began work as an apprentice in a foundry, which eventually commissioned to teach new employees basic geometry required for the job; for it used the origami.1

From 1937 he decided to devote himself professionally to papiroflexia.1 1950 way, the work of Yoshizawa began to show to the public in Japan: he made twelve figures of paper representing each of the animals in the eastern zodiac that were published in the journal Asahi-Graph; This marked the turning point in his career. Come 1954 published his first book, "Origami Art" (Origami Geijutsu) and founded "The International Origami Society", which currently has over 1,500 members. In 1955 he held his first exhibition of his work at the Museum of the City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This exhibition was the bridge between Japan and the Netherlands, and became the opportunity of Yoshizawa to become known in Europe. In 1956 he published "Origami Reader" (Origami Tokuhon). In 1959 he exhibited at the Coopers Union Museum in New York. In 1963 his book "Tanoshii Origami" won the cultural award "Mainichi Shuppan."

He visits Europe in 1972, and in subsequent years would expose several mainland cities, including Milan (1987), Sevilla (in the framework of the Expo 1992) and Paris (1993). In the Universal Exposition in Seville, Yoshizawa made a presentation in the pavilion of his country, also giving some origami workshops.

In March 1998 he was invited to exhibit their figures in the museum Louvre.4 In 2000 he exhibited at the Museum of Oji Paper in Tokyo.

He died in Tokyo in 2005, the day of his 94th birthday.