This is not an ordinary origami book. Here you will not find things in nature such as animals or flowers. Even the shells and snails that can be found in the book are not models of real objects but idealised versions inspired by the forms of their natural counterparts. Tomoko Fuse is extending the traditional folding techniques. Of course, she is an expert of all these techniques, but here she is introducing something new: a design method that does without the usual dogmas of do not cut and do not paste. Chapter 2 illustrates this with many breathtaking creations of nautilus similar designs. It is not the foremost concern of this book to offer step-by-step folding instructions. But the information needed to make the models shown will nevertheless be provided. The focus is more on constructing: first deliberating, then measuring, calculating, cutting, pasting and so on. The insight gained by working with paper can also be applied to working with other materials. With her pioneering work Tomoko reveals interesting possibilities and gives hints for creations that are not limited to paper only.
One would think that the natural thing to do nowadays is to use a computer to construct crease patterns. But Tomoko's work is handicraft. She works with her hands and with traditional tools. And it is our intent to pay homage to her craftsmanship and her inventiveness and to show how she manages to create an extraordinary universe of creases with her hands alone.
We are grateful to Tomoko Fuse for sharing with us her expert knowledge, for divulging to us her secrets and letting us partake of her delight in folding.
Paulo Mulatinho