A popular pastime in Japan has developed into a professional practice for expat artist Chieko Hester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a child, Chieko was taught by her father to fold origami cranes and she practised with friends at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Origami itself back then was just that, it wasn’t something that you learnt properly, you just learn as you go,” she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immigrating to Australia at the age of 23, Chieko met her husband in Sydney and they later settled in Gisborne, where her husband had grown up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Until then I had never really done much origami, sometimes if there was origami paper I might have folded something, but I’d never really done much,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then my neighbour was doing card making and said ‘come along, we can do a few things together’ and as I was always a creative person I loved it!
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“All the other ladies were making beautiful creative cards and I thought ‘I can’t be as good as them’, but then I thought, I can actually fold origami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I started putting my first origami shapes onto the cards and that was the start of my current journey.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From 2012, with two young children and no longer working full-time, Chieko began honing her skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She branched out from card making and began also producing 3D framed artworks in a variety of sizes, from the tiny and intricate to large wall art, and even earrings and pendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On her last trip to Japan in 2019, just before before the pandemic hit, she sourced a good supply of beautiful Japanese origami paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chieko’s work is now exhibited at The Gallery Mt Macedon, and at Art on Piper in Kyneton where she attends twice a month to meet visitors keen to know more about her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s always great to talk to customers or people who are interested in my artwork, they actually get more information, not just look at it,” she says.
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“I try to create work that has Japanese meaning to it and share my Japanese heritage with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The crane has a meaning of good luck. One piece I did was a crane in all white. Cranes are monogamous and are a good omen for a lasting relationship so that particular white artwork went on to be someone’s wedding gift, which was really good.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chieko also creates commissioned pieces and runs workshops for workplaces or groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n