Twenty-five years ago, on road trips between New York and California, my grandfather taught me the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. He and I would make toys out of brochures picked up from rest stops along the way. Origami, along with the imagination, made a piece of paper into something other than itself. It became a swan, or an elephant, or a dragon, and they were our playmates through those thousands of miles across the American continent.
It was then that my grandfather made me realize that with my hands, I had the power to create, to bring new things to life. All I had to do was close my eyes and picture what I wanted to make, and with some planning, designing, and building, I can realize any vision. Today, I use my skills to breathe life into pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing as well as useful.
My work reflects every aspect of my upbringing, interests, and personality. My penchant for mathematics influenced me to create balanced and symmetrical items, as seen in the harmonious unity within my bracelets, rings, and pendants. A desire for experimentation caused me to stray away from conventional shapes in my tableware: I have created square, hexagonal, and leaf-shaped plates, bowls, and a line of teapots. As a tribute to my Asian heritage, I draw my inspiration from the natural world, using bamboo, floral, and leaf motifs. Finally, I still use the origami I was taught a quarter of a century ago: using Precious Metal Clay, I fold intricate earrings and ornaments. My grandfather would have been proud of me.
Now, I wish to instill in you that magic I felt in that car ride, when an ordinary item in the palm of my hand ceased to remain what it was, transformed instead into something that brought joy: an object attached to a memory, cherished forever.
