Using the origami tradition of shaping only through folding, artist Joel Cooper creates masks and tessellations from single sheets of paper. Many of his pieces are hand-painted, dyed, or stained before and after folding, and then treated with polyurethane, acrylic or shellac.
Working a regular day job in the acquisitions department of a college library, the dedicated artist comes home every night and builds these intricate pieces. For the past three years, Cooper has been using “elephant hide” (or what is marketed in the U.S. as Wyndstone Marble) for his work. He says, “some of the characteristics that make it great for my style of folding – its strength, its surface, consistent texture and its ability to accept moisture without much distortion, make it great for painting and dyeing as well.”
For those interested in details of this work, Cooper has a blog where he very generously shares his techniques for paper folding, painting and designs. You can see more of his latest work here, or buy some of his pieces on Etsy.
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