modern japanese art of origami by Shin Tanaka

The graphic artist and illustrator Shin Tanaka mixes the traditional Japanese art of paper Origami with modern illustrative styles. In extensive handwork small paper toys become art objects. So he creates an exciting link between the two cultures. The traditional Japan becomes visual and is now influenced by modern street art. Tanaka got popular in a very short time, thank to the strong communication impact of the internet, the numerous forums, blogs and the idea to share his art with others.

Tanaka started his playful passion for Origami paper art driven by a simple motivation. He wanted to create all the sneakers he could not afford during his studies. He created little paper models of his favourite shoes and out them on his website. Finally his work was displayed in a showcase of the NIKE design library and his work became a growing number of fans including sneaker freaks, graphic designers and street artists. He got popular with the T-Boy, his youngest paper model, which he developed on his research for a new surface for his graffiti pieces. Because it is very easy to fold the T-Boy and the other toys like Gritty and Spiky, the number of collectors grew fast. In less than one year Shin Tanaka gave his characters new faces in cooperation with over 80 brands (Adidas, Ark United, etc.) and many different artists.

The exhibition opens August 18th in the gallery of the design bureau Less Rain. The agency is not only connected with Tanaka because of it is love to Japan. Currently Less Rain builds up its location in japan. The agency also feels connected to street art. In a digital way, of course: Less Rain developed a graffiti spray tool. With this tool you can spray virtually and legally on a high level. That shows the over 20.000 works, that are exhibited online

tanaka one of those rare papercrafters who negotiates form, theme and function by bringing an awesome ‘urban’ style into the delicate world of papercrafting. ‘Cause you know that between poppin’ caps and pimpin’ hos, the thugs be sittin’ at their kitchen tables making tiny cuts in sheets of paper. This week, Shin Tanaka adds the Hoophy to his growing list of free, but still limited-edition, designs. Be sure to check back at his website often, as old designs frequently shift into ’sold out’ mode and are made unavailable while new designs come to the forefront. A new Hoophy will be released every month, in magazine format, as well as a blank Hoophy for your customizing needs.

Hoophy, buried deep within the curves of his hooded sweatshirt, comes just in time for the cold winter months. Download the handy PDF from his site and glue one together - and if you’re really nice, I’ll forward you a sold-out copy of my own Spiky Baby from series six.