Shaping the world with paper

When Amit Shetty realised that he had a lot of free time on his hands, he decided not to waste it. But instead of partying or heading out, he decided to get productive. He did what most men his age wouldn’t — he learnt the art of origami. He says with a certain firmness, “I’d rather spend time by myself or with my friends. I don’t like going out that much.”

Although he can already make intricate designs, he is a newbie to the field. “I started doing origami in January.” Now, he makes dragons, swans, origami lanterns and more. Initially, he would depend on YouTube videos for assistance but now he freestyles. “I still watch the video but add some elements of my own to it.”

On what got him hooked to origami, he explains, “I’m fascinated by how a sheet of paper can be turned into something so complex. You can make anything out of one sheet!”

His most difficult project so far has been the paper lanterns and a swan swimming in a lake filled with lotus’. “The assembling is the hardest part — it can take up to three hours to assemble all the pieces. The swan was difficult to make because it is made from 280 pieces of folded paper. And there are small lotus’ as well. I made this for my best friend.” When it comes to the lanterns, he improvises and gives them a shape he likes.

With around 20 lanterns and 30 to 40 origami works, he has a colourful room. “I use all kinds of coloured and textured papers. Sometimes, I even use greeting cards. And most of them decorate my room, with lights adding the final touch,” he says.  A self-taught artist, he learnt this art by watching tutorials online.

 “When I’m working on them, I don’t realise how time goes by. Time flies faster when I begin experimenting. And there’s no one who disturbs me.”

Sometimes, even his friends help him out. “They help me fold the paper but I do the final assembling.”

Still not an expert crafter, he says that he can’t make complex designs yet. But he is learning at his own pace. Soon, he hopes to be able to sculpt the world, if he wishes. After all, the only thing holding him back are his fingers, which are quick to adapt!