For origami artist Ross Symons, it all started with a 365-day origami Instagram project in 2014: “In 2014 I decided to do a 365-day Instagram project where I folded a different origami figure every day for a year,” he relayed in an interview with Allesio La Rufa. “All I could fold before then was a crane and a rabbit. I did the project so I could get better at origami and track my progress.”
But what began as a challenge grew into a booming business with over 100K followers. In fact, Symons quit his 9-to-5 job as a website developer and is now committed to being a paper artist.
“Instagram is a platform that, if used correctly, you can connect with thousands of people around the world,” explains Symons. “Without Instagram, I would not be able to do what I do for a living,” he admits. “I connected with many people who folded paper and then eventually with people that I did work with. It is now my main marketing channel.”
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, his brand White on Rice is centered around the ancient Japanese art, creating social media content for brands and private clients, origami commissions, origami installations, and even stop motion animation.
His process includes a lot of research and planning beforehand. “I would start by finding reference images of what other origami artists have folded and see what I can use in my design,” he recalled in the interview. “I’d then take a sheet and (I’ve only recently started getting into this) plot out where I want to put the wings, beak, legs, etc.”
Birds are a common theme throughout his work, but also other animals and insects such as butterflies, rabbits, and even dinosaurs. Take a look at some of his recent projects in the gallery below and follow him on Instagram for more.
