About site

This is non-comercial website about kusudamas, modular origrami and paper art. On our website you can find modular origami works of Lukasheva Ekaterina, origami diagrams & tutorials.

Author

How I started origami

As I was a pupil I knew origami only in a sense of folding paper airplanes. I knew only one model that flew well. When I was 14, I was very fond of gluing paper models of buildings in my school. One day, around 2001, our mathematics teacher brought us origami magazine, that contained kusudamas. With my friend we tried to fold some of the balls. There were mostly traditional ones. We folded few of them for a school contest and were granted some positive notes for geometry. I need to say here, that I had been a lazy pupil and I didn’t make my homework. These positive notes rescued me from total fail with geometry notes. Now I joke, it was the fact that has bound me with kusudamas tightly. It made a positive reflex.

The hard times came then. I had to enter the university, so I spent 2 years to learning mathematics and geometry for the entrance exams. After three years I was able to remember this hobby. It was the time, when I got an access to internet, so I could find more models to fold. I got to know Sonobe unit at that time. I was totally stunned by the models that require neither glue nor thread to hold together. I thought I would never be able to create something as genius as Sonobe unit.

I was born in the family of scientists, so from the cradle I got the feeling, that man must create something new. It’s a natural feeling for me. And I tried to make some “my own” things. Actually my own creations were rare, ugly and paper-consuming. And usually required glue. Origami had to compete with my other hobbies: drawing, photographing, modeling and computer strategy games (I’m a fan of Transport Tycoon and Civilization).

In 2008 I discovered my first glue-less unit. I talked to my chef and was playing with a note paper. An suddenly I understood that it can be turned to an origami module! It was simple and elegant! It was a breakthrough to me, cause I understood, that it was easy! So easy! This understanding guides me when I create new models. Indeed, it’s easy, when you have the right mood.

Interviews with me

Some funny facts about me

I was born in 1986 in Moscow, Russia
I always liked solving conundrums and playing with construction sets (the very bad thing about them is that you never have enough parts!)
My parents forbade me playing with puzzle and Tetris (they think it’s too silly). I first played these games when I was around 20 years old…
When I was a child, I liked to read the book “entertaining math”, architecture catalogs and art encyclopedias
I always dreamed to become an architect, but I became a mathematician. Is it the fate?
I graduated in 2008 with honors from Moscow state Lomonosov university as a mathematician an programmer
I had to marry the man, who designed the “kusudama.me” internet site ;-)
So I’m married
I grow cactuses and dream to move to some sunny warm region, so that my cactuses feel themselves better (and me too :). I envy the people who live in South America. They don’t have problems with growing cactuses! ;-)
From time to time I’m busy with: mountain skis, yoga, drawing, origami or lawn mower :)
I do not drink, smoke and I never tried drugs(except Coffee and Coca-Cola)

Developer

Site development by Boris Pavlovic boris@pavlovic.me

Terms of use

All content from this site: photographs, diagrams and text can be copied for personal use only. No commercial usage without special permission! If you want to use it commercial contact me: art@kusudama.me