Hojoon LEE

Beyond Origami: The Dialectical Aesthetic of Composition and Construction

 

Lev AAN (Art Critic)

The plane is the potential state of a three-dimensional form. Just as small dots come together to form a line, and lines come together to create a plane, the plane inherently possesses the potential to transform into a three-dimensional shape. The art that most intuitively and clearly demonstrates this concept is origami. From a single sheet of paper, various three-dimensional forms such as boats, airplanes, frogs, and cranes can be created. This is why origami is one of the favorite activities of children and is also a part of learning activities. Through the process of origami, children naturally develop a sense of three-dimensionality and spatial awareness. Although origami may seem like a simple task, it inherently contains infinite creativity and expressive potential.

 

LEE Hojoon’s work, as revealed through its form, is rooted in origami. While studying art education, he realized that origami is an important medium that goes beyond a simple activity to explore and develop its formative potential. By teaching origami, he became captivated by the medium's formative potential and chose to deconstruct and reassemble origami forms as he developed his work. This approach has allowed him to move beyond mere imitation of origami and instead reveal deeper and more differentiated beauty, leading to the creation of creative and unique origami-inspired sculptures.

 

Sculptural Transformation of Origami

 

A single sheet of paper becomes the foundation for creating various forms and structures. Origami is achieved through the interaction of two key elements: 'planarity' and 'three-dimensionality.' The transformation of a flat sheet of paper into a three-dimensional form through folding not only involves a change in physical properties but also creates a perceptual difference in how the form is visually recognized. This process, driven by the interaction of planarity and three-dimensionality, goes beyond the mere transformation of paper and changes how we perceive and interpret the surrounding world. It acts as an artistic activity that reinterprets everyday objects from different perspectives and imbues them with new meanings and values.

 

The uniqueness of LEE Hojoon’s work is expressed here. Although his works are sculptures, they prominently feature planarity while also embodying three-dimensionality. This is made possible by his incorporation of origami into his sculptural process. Rather than merely combining or stacking planes to connect planarity and three-dimensionality, LEE naturally incorporates both characteristics into his work by adopting origami's formality. By transforming origami into sculpture, LEE creates a work that is both familiar and rooted in traditional sculptural forms. However, his work is not origami in the traditional sense. As the materials he uses are stainless steel plates—not paper—his work is a "sculpture in the shape of origami" rather than an actual folded origami piece. Despite this distinction, LEE’s work is often referred to as "origami sculpture," a term that we will also use here for clarity.

 

LEE’s works embody opposing characteristics such as lightness and flexibility, heaviness and solidity, and planarity and three-dimensionality. This duality is possible because the elements of origami and sculptural characteristics coexist in his work. Paper is typically perceived as a light and flexible medium, and origami, which involves creating shapes by folding paper, is characterized by lightness and flexibility. However, LEE attempts to transform the transient and lightweight image of origami into a substantial and permanent sculpture. This effort can be seen as an attempt to recreate the feeling of a sculptural work with heavy materiality through the form of origami, transcending the lightweight and easily manipulated nature of paper.

 

LEE’s inclination to merge the contrasting features of traditional sculpture with the lightness and flexibility of origami has led to the creation of unique structures that possess both these attributes simultaneously. His works maintain the visual lightness and flexibility of origami while incorporating the weight, solidity, and permanence characteristic of traditional sculpture. By doing so, LEE elevates origami to a new conceptual and physical level, expanding the boundaries of the medium and exploring the various possibilities of sculptural art.

 

Unfolding/Unfoldable Origami Sculpture

 

LEE Hojoon’s sculptures are reminiscent of Jeff Koons’ balloon art-inspired pieces like "Balloon Dog," "Balloon Rabbit," and "Balloon Monkey." Both artists share some similarities in their work: origami and balloon art are subjects loved by children, they both enlarge small shapes into larger sculptures, and they strive to maintain the original feel of the materials even after changing them to suit sculpture. However, there is a clear difference in their approaches. While Jeff Koons’ work focuses on creating a sense of strangeness by simply enlarging small balloon art characters, LEE Hojoon explores new dimensions of sculpture beyond the confines of origami. As indicated by the phrase "unfoldable origami sculpture," LEE maintains the basic characteristics of origami while creating forms and structures that origami itself cannot achieve, thereby surpassing its limitations.

 

LEE’s concept of "unfoldable origami" can be considered an idealized form of origami, inspired by Greek sculpture. Just as Greek sculptors combined beautiful parts of different people to create an ideal human figure, LEE gathers various elements to create a highly aesthetic work. He collects and references various origami pieces found online and in books, selects attractive parts, and designs a predicted image using a 3D computer program, which he then materializes into a sculpture. This process allows his work to maintain the essential characteristics of origami while embodying unique forms that traditional origami cannot realize.

 

New Aesthetic Originals and Form Interpretation

 

LEE Hojoon constantly pursues the aesthetics of origami through reproduction, and in doing so, he hopes that the resulting works will become new 'originals' that transcend the originals. Moreover, by actively utilizing the geometric and mathematical principles of origami in aesthetic expression, he goes beyond merely following axioms and incorporates flexible shapes and new interpretations of form into his work. LEE’s origami sculptures internalize the essential values of origami while externally expanding its artistic possibilities. His work provides an innovative perspective on traditional sculpture and offers a new aesthetic experience to the public.