Angela Fung & Ashley Bedford

Origamist

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

What are your staple materials?: 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.
What was your most challenging project to date?: 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!
Does music sometimes inform your work?: Classical music in general inspires our work, from Bach and Mozart, to Beethoven and Rachmaninov.
How sustainable is your work?: 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.

Angela Fung & Ashley Bedford are rising stars: they began their career in 2017 and they started teaching in 2020