Draft:Hanakami

The term hanakami (花紙 hana- "flower," kami "paper"), or flower paper, has been used to describe a style of origami that uses natural (and mostly unprocessed) materials as the 'paper' for folding various models. It is unclear if the technique has been commonly practiced prior to 2016, since there are no references to this style of origami in the Japanese Origami Academic Society or OrigamiUSA, two of the largest origami groups in the world.

The unique and perhaps unusual aspect of hanakami is the intrinsic connection between the specific type of material used, how it is prepared and then folded. It is common for origamists to have on hand the right type of paper for the model they are making, and less common for them to also make the paper themselves. The concept of hanakami challenges the origamist to consider the definition of 'paper' in origami, and also to incorporate making of the 'paper' into part of their practice.

As the name suggests, flower petals are an ideal material to use for hanakami, and most of the published works of hanakami are based on flower petals , even though other organic materials like leaves can also be used.

Relationship to origami
Origami, by its very definition, is the folding of paper (into a shape or form), and paper is of course made from organic and therefore natural materials. There is a myriad of commercially available paper stock used for origami (e.g. the very expensive and rare elephant hide), and the experienced origamist knows to select the right type of paper for the project or model that they want to fold. The practice of hanakami takes this one step further by focusing on flower petals as the 'paper' used.

Many people associate the practice of origami with mindfulness and other Japanese philosophical concepts (e.g. wabi sabi) that attempts to understand our relationship with nature, and the balance that we seek with our environment. The idea of making origami from flower petals may sound like an impractical exercise in futility and frustration, yet it provides many opportunities for the artisan to hone their physical and mental abilities. Origami is the art of abstraction and expression with paper, so one can certainly make a case that there is something profound and transformational about turning a flower petal into an origami flower. Hanakami doesn't necessarily exclude other types of materials (e.g. leaves) and is not exclusive to flowers, yet there are very few natural materials that are naturally thin and pliable enough to fold, or can be pressed to a form that is. In addition, one would also need to consider the physical size of the origami model to be folded, as flower petals and leaves tend to be much smaller than the standard origami paper sizes that are commercially available (e.g. 10cm x 10cm or 15cm x 15cm).

For the origamist attempting to practice this technique, it is important to keep in mind that there is always a degree of uncertainty when working with delicate and organic materials. It is recommended that you practice basic origami models in miniature scale (i.e. with paper less than 5cm) to develop the level of dexterity required for the degree of accuracy you'll need. It is also advisable to familiarise yourself with the models you want to make so that you understand the stresses being exerted on the various creases and whether it is suitable for the material that you are going to use.

Types of flowers that can be used
Just as the origamist must select the right type of paper to match the model that is to be made, the type of flower used, and the preparation required also determines the type of origami models can be made. It is typical for hanakami models to quite small because flowers that are commonly available (such as rose petals and orchids) have a limited surface area that is flat enough to press and fold.

The primary considerations in selecting the types of flowers to use for origami are based on the physical characteristics of the flowers, as determined by the size, shape and thickness of the flower petals. Since larger flowers tend to also have a thicker and a more fibrous composition (as well as more prominent veins running through the petal), they become more brittle and hence more difficult to fold when pressed and dried. Rose petals present an ideal size and thickness when it comes to making miniature origami cranes, as do certain types of orchids. As a general tip you should pick petals that are larger and have less curvature to maximise the available surface for folding once it is pressed into a flat sheet.

These are some of the flowers that have been used in hanakami:


 * Rose
 * Orchidaceae
 * Poppy
 * Cherry blossom (to be verified)

The choice of flower may also be determined by geographical location, season of the year, colour, rarity (i.e. availability) and other individual preferences. However, as the success rate of preparing the flower petals and folding of the model depends on a number of factors, it is recommended that a high number of petals should be prepared to ensure that you don't run out of materials.

Drying the petals
Make sure that all moisture from the surface of the petals is removed by air drying first. You should use a tissue or a cloth to absorb excessive dew or moisture from the petals before air drying. Check to see that the petal is dry to the touch before moving onto pressing the petals.

The process of drying the petals is similar to that of pressing flowers for preservation, except that the aim is to retain enough moisture so that the petal can still be folded without breaking or tearing. Press dry the flowers using paper that is thick and absorbent (such as blotting paper) and to place some weight on top to help the petals retain a flat and smooth surface for folding.

You may also need to change the paper from time to time because the moisture retained in the paper used to press the petals can cause discolouration of the petals. The anthocyanin contained in the flower petals that provide the distinct colour of petals are water-soluble, so in order to preserve the colours as much as possible, the petals should be dry but not yet lost any colours before pressing with the blotting paper to avoid the pigments being transferred onto the paper. This will allow most of the colours on the petals to be retained.

Even if the flower petals are already quite flat you should still press them, because the process of drying can sometimes cause them to lose their original shape/form. A slow and gradual dehydration process, which can be achieved using devices such as dehumidifiers or materials like desiccants (or even just using sand which contains silica) is also possible, and you'll need to experiment with your setup to ensure that the dried flower petals come out as flat as possible.



Types of origami models suitable for hanakami
This is where your skill and patience will be tested, as the paper will be delicate and not easy to work with even when it is optimally dried. However, if you are careful with the pre-creases you will find that there is less stress and pressure put on the model and you are less likely to cause tears at the creases.

Some of the suggested origami models that can be made include:


 * orizuru, or traditional crane
 * butterfly
 * flower

If you suspect that the flower petal is going to be too dry or brittle to work with, it is possible to try and moisten the material with a tiny bit of water and let it soak into the petal. You can then test the consistency of the material by making a pre-crease to see if an actual crease will hold or if it is still too brittle and likely to tear apart.



Presenting hanakami artworks
It is not a requirement of hanakami, but here are some ideas on how the finished origami model can be presented to showcase its features.

There are two considerations that are often overlooked once the manual and difficult tasks of preparing and folding the origami model has been completed. Due to the nature of the material, care must be given to optimise the display of the artwork by catering for:


 * size of the model folded
 * integrity of the material used

A typical 1cm x 1cm square made from the flower petal will not be easily viewable by the audience. Those who are familiar with the works of origamist like Anja Markiewicz will appreciate the intricate details that are captured in the photography. Even the more complex hanakami models that can be achieved with squares up to 2cm x 2cm will result in models that are roughly the width of a finger tip. Therefore it is important to incorporate high quality macro photography images or magnification equipment so that the colours, textures and patterns of the flower petals can be seen.

An alternative approach to displaying the artwork is to retain some of the original materials used to prepare the flower petals and use it in the presentation. Ideally it would be the part of the flower petal that has been prepared but not folded so that it has the closest matching colours and patterns, or it can be from the same petal or same flower to show what the original colours and patterns look like prior to the drying and pressing of the petals.

Finally, it is also important to consider the long term maintenance or preservation of the artwork, as most organic materials will degrade over time naturally due to biodegradation processes or physical breakdown of organic material caused by exposure to oxygen and light. Keeping the finished artwork in a small container stowed away to reduce excessive exposure to moisture, air and light will help to preserve the longevity of the artwork. However, the physical integrity of the hanakami model cannot be retained without further treatment with materials such as resin or epoxy.

The philosophy of hanakami
Perhaps it is not surprising that origami is often associated with activities with a meditative quality, since the experience of transforming a flat piece of paper or flower petal into a 3d object requires a level of focus and concentration that takes time and patience to develop the skills for. Therefore, it is often that any form of origami becomes associated with the idea of mindfulness and meditation, but the extent to which you can apply origami to those concepts and activities are not well understood.

Instead, the practice of hanakami is more closely linked to concept of wabi sabi due to its core principle of using natural materials with minimal processing and manipulation, in addition to the impermanence of the finished artwork.

Finally, as the attitude and mindset that the general public hold towards mental health and well-being changes, it is hoped that hanakami and other forms of creative expressions will become accepted and integrated into a more holistic approach to prevention-based mental health programs, much in the same way as music therapy became a mainstream and complementary therapy. Some of the skills developed and honed in the practice of hanakami can be used to improve the mind and body such as dexterity, visualisation, concentration and much more.

Notes and references
Category:Art Category:Origami Category:Origami artists