In our impression, there’s only one form of paper cranes. However, an origami artist made a different paper crane every day for 1,000 days! His works are so exquisite and diverse that you may not even realize that they’re paper cranes. This artist is Cristian Marianciuc from Romania.
His devotion to paper cranes dates back to his study of Japanese culture in Australia many years ago. Cristian has since then been enchanted by the Japanese art of origami, especially paper cranes, on which he even wrote an essay.
At the beginning of 2015, Cristian set himself a goal of making a paper crane every day for 365 days. His first bird looked like this:
As time went by…
In this project, Cristian learned the Japanese legend that anyone who folds 1,000 paper cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. Therefore, after reaching the goal, he challenged himself to fold a new crane every day for 1,000 days.
How to make a new bird every day? Cristian didn’t want to rely on paper of different colors and materials. Instead, he made some fun changes for paper cranes based on what he saw, heard, felt, and thought every day.
For example, he added geometry to a paper crane’s wings, turned a crane into a little plane, or incarnated music in a bird.
The white houses with chimneys on the wings are Cristian missing his childhood and the winters in his homeland.
This bus-shaped paper crane is his best wishes for his friend’s wedding.
Having seen some horror movies, Cristian made a paper crane into a skeleton.
Making a small yet exquisite paper crane requires meticulous techniques, so Cristian later mastered the art of paper carving. He painted his works in different colors and drew various patterns, combining origami with other handicrafts.
As he became more and more skilled, his birds became more and more diverse and beautiful. Leaves, flowers, feathers, and other elements have also been added to paper cranes. Cristian is particularly good at adding more feathers to paper crane wings by sticking them one by one to the wings.
He has been inspired by angels, elks, butterflies, etc.
His paper cranes can be simpler or more magnificent, unicolor or rich in color.
The “1,000 paper cranes” project is over, but Cristian has not stopped folding attractive paper cranes. His works appear in art galleries, exhibition halls, and some fashion magazines. Some of his works can sell for over $150. Be persistent in your passion!
