Joan Son: Paper Couture

Paper Couture is an installation of retro-inspired fashions by origami artist, Joan Son. Based upon her original paper doll dress designs from 1958, Paper Couture traces Son’s use of a variety of paper techniques to create full-size dress sculptures which honor the past and open a portal to the present.

Joan Son is an American artist who has devoted her career to the exploration of contemporary origami as fine art. Since 1964, when she first learned to fold the traditional crane, Son has been intrigued with the art, math and magic of paper folding. Her professional origami career debuted in the windows of Tiffany & Co. in the spring of 1993.

I have always loved paper. My first love was designing paper doll dresses when I was 9 years old. So even my mother’s typing paper, lined school papers and tissue paper were attractive to me from very early on.

–Joan Son

Son has created numerous large-scale installations for public and private venues as well as small works for museum shops including the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian in Washington DC. In 2011, she had major exhibitions at both the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and the Ellen Noel Art Museum, Odessa, with works ranging from small containers to 8 foot hanging kimonos.

Studying with masters from around the world, Son is a member of Origami USA and attends and teaches at their conferences in New York, California and Ohio.

Opening Reception

Friday, June 7, 6:30pm

WORKSHOPS

Past Exhibitions

Opening Reception

ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES

ORIGAMI 101

ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES