Extreme origami and large-scale folding
- Angela and Ashley use a specific type of paper called tyvek
- Prestigious institutions have commissioned them for interior decoration projects
- Their mantra is to push the boundaries of origami forwards
Angela Fung was originally a jeweller and a concert pianist. Ashley Bedford was an architect and silversmith. In 2017, they founded their multidisciplinary studio after experiencing grief. Mindfully folding long panels of paper became Angela's therapy and so was born their concept of 'architectural origami'. Angela and Ashley's work is made by hand and machine-scored for ultimate precision: repetitive, concertina-ed, geometric folds and pleats are their signature art form. The projects they undertake are site-specific and experiential: meandering through swathes of papers, cascading, sometimes snaking around walls, staircases and light. They have movement and fluidity, like a dance, immersing the viewer in a space of hushed padding. The couple often work with construction teams and have even used cherry-pickers to finalise their installations.
INTERVIEW
Tyvek is our favourite material – it is a waterproof, tear-proof and fire retardant material that has all the properties of paper but is 10 times as strong. We also like using Fedrigoni papers as they do the best quality metallic stock papers in sheet form.
The McKinsey project was one of our biggest and first commercial projects. We created 40 meeting room ceilings and five atrium spaces with bespoke folds ceilings. The project required over one mile of paper, two miles of stainless steel wire, and a year to complete!
Classical music in general inspires our work, from Bach and Mozart, to Beethoven and Rachmaninov.
Very. We use Tyvek which is 100% recyclable, robust and flexible. Also, all our work can be packed flat so we save a lot on transport and fuel costs.
