I Make Pop-Culture-Inspired Origami, And Here Are My Best 30 Works

The hardest part is making the character identifiable, each origami paper model is only an inch tall, so making sure they have the right detail is important. Details such as David Bowie's lightning bolt, the height of Egon Spengler's hair, or photographing the finished model in a way that would capture Deadpool's confident stance. Making unique artworks can take anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours.

I'm hugely influenced and inspired by pop culture. Origami has enabled me to combine a somewhat niche art style with that influence.

One piece of artwork usually takes a couple of hours to make. This is the part I enjoy the most - seeing a blank piece of paper being transformed into a recognizable figure in a few hours.

Photographing the model can also take time and can be tricky. Dealing with models that are top-heavy and fall over at the slightest breeze can test your patience. The models are photographed on plain white or black backdrops. The backgrounds are then digitally painted on.

I come up with ideas for the models by watching films or TV shows. And then, instead of concentrating on the film, I imagine how I could re-create a character (or a whole scene) in paper. The characters I choose are usually quite unique and striking so they will be easily identifiable. Even if you've never seen, for example, Deadpool, you would still be able to recognize the character.

I do experience creative blocks. Sometimes I can go for a month or so without any new ideas for a model. I have learned not to force myself to make something and that creativity ebbs and flows. Taking a break and making other types of models helps fill any pop culture void. Recently, I've been making cat models and inserting cat puns into famous people's names, such as Freddie Purr-cury.

I've always had a really good reaction to my artwork. If it makes one person smile or laugh then it makes me happy. This is something that motivates me to create more. There are some amazing origami artists out there who create wonderfully complex pieces of art and although my work is much more simplistic, and incorporates other paper art methods such as papercutting, I have found my work to be well received and have built an engaged following on social media.