Above the fold

Unexpected encounter

Liu's fascination with paper folding began with a single paper rose. In 2006, while he was studying in Germany, he was captivated by a passenger on a bus effortlessly making a paper rose for a nearby girl, leading to a happy conversation between the two.

This unexpected encounter completely changed Liu's view of paper folding. Until then, he had only seen flat, monotonous creations, but the passenger's lifelike, three-dimensional paper rose ignited a passion for the art.

When he returned home, he searched online for tutorials on making paper roses and spent the entire night following instructions in German, successfully folding his very first rose.

This further fueled his love of paper folding. From then on, he dedicated every spare moment to experimenting with different designs. Starting with simple pieces like cranes and owls, his collection quickly filled a room.

In 2014, and already gaining recognition in the world of paper folding, Liu was given the fresh challenge of coming up with a special gift to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Gabon during the World Peace Festival. Liu recalls that the real challenge wasn't folding paper, but deciding on the perfect gift.

After careful thought, he settled on making a blue-and-white porcelain vase. It took him over three months to perfect the design. Initially, his prototypes were off by 2 millimeters, prompting him to tweak the pattern numerous times. After over 100 drafts and more than 1,000 sheets of paper, he finally got it right.

The difficulty stemmed from the vase's curved lines, which Liu had initially depicted as straight. To fix this, he had to recalculate and redesign the pattern with precision.

The following year, he made a big decision and left his job as a lecturer at the Renmin University of China to focus entirely on paper folding.

In 2015, one of his pieces, a representation of a Bronze Age ding caldron was given as a gift to the Japanese ambassador on the International Day of Peace. The following year, Hermes invited him to make window displays for their flagship store in Doha, Qatar, under the theme of "Wild Nature 2016". The displays, which showcased various animals, drew many visitors eager to take photos.

While some people may think paper folding is simple and quick, like making a paper airplane, Liu says it requires mental focus, time, and physical effort, much like running a marathon, especially when it comes to large-scale creation.

He says that paper folding demands attention to detail and precise calculation at every step, from choosing the right paper to designing the folds. Making large paper-folding pieces also involves considering factors like the paper's strength and flexibility. "It's like solving a math problem," he explains.

Unlike painting, which adds layers onto a canvas, or sculpture, which in most times subtracts from the raw material, paper folding is a process of allocation. "It's a process of creation from single white sheets of paper," Liu says. "It's also a nostalgic art form, upgraded from the childhood paper planes or boats we all once folded. When I'm folding, I lose track of time, and become completely absorbed in my own little world."