amjamin

"Even a sheet of paper has two sides," goes a Japanese proverb, which epitomises the strength in the delicateness of paper. It goes beyond to recognise the source, the nature - trees the paper comes from. Paper takes shapes and forms by intricate movement of hand - from cranes, pianos, lilies, to a jumping frog. The time-honoured Japanese art of origami goes beyond making intricate and delicate designs. "We learn to be patient and to be neat when we learn origami," says Yasuko Ishige, project coordinator at the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica, and an origami enthusiast. Ishige grew up learning the art from her grandparents and parents in Tokyo. Origami, derived from  ori  - to fold, and  kami  - paper, Ishige explains, is a very meticulous process with key emphasis on cleanliness and precision, creating a perfect contour for the design. These traits, she adds, are a reflection of the way things are traditionally done in Japan. The intricacies of the t...