BIOGRAPHY

Tomoko Fuse’s earliest encounter with origami occurred at the age of seven, when she started folding paper models during a hospital stay. In around 1980, way ahead of her time, she began devoting herself with great passion to modular origami, which she made by assembling several sheets of separately folded paper, for which she earned the sobriquet “module queen.”

Experimenting with ever new ways of folding paper, she turned towards geometric form and ended up designing industrial products such as lampshades and the Origami Pots collection.

The artist has appeared on many television programs on private and public networks, such as Oshare kōbō (Trend Studio) on NHK. In 2015, she starred in the movie Un monde en plis. Le code origami [A World in Folds. The Origami Code]directed by François-Xavier Vives for La Compagnie de Taxi-Brousse, a French production company that specializes in TV documentaries. In 2016, she was the subject of discussion on Art Scene, a program featured on Nichiyō bijutsukan (Monday in the Gallery) on NHK, which was broadcast twice in 2017.

1951Born in Yoitamachi, in the district of Mishima in the province of Niigata.

1973Graduates from the University of Chiba in green design.

1986Moves to Yamamura Yasaka, in the province of Nagano, and begins to practice origami professionally.

1987Invited to Italy by the Centro Diffusione Origami.

1989Visits England, Germany, Holland, Poland, and Bulgaria on behalf of the Japan Foundation.

1990Invited to America by Origami USA, the national association for origami in America.

1991Invited to France by the Mouvement Francais des Plieurs de Papier, to Germany by Origami Deutschland e.V., and to Spain by the Asociación Española Papiroflexia. Takes part in an ikebana exhibition with teacher Takagi Reishi at the Sogetsu school in Tokyo.

1994Assists in the organization of the second OSME (Origami Science Mathematics Education) held in Otsu, making a valuable contribution to the event’s success.

1998, 2000, 2003Invited to the Origami Festival in Charlotte, USA.

1998Among three Japanese artists invited to exhibit at the Paris Origami exhibition held in that year at the Carrousel du Louvre.

1999Invited by the Canada Origami Group and the Japanese-German Origami Association. In July, holds a solo show in Ueda Sōzōkan in Ueda, Japan.

2002Invited to participate in the On Paper exhibition organized in London, England and sponsored by the Crafts Council. Presents Origami Pots, the result of research conducted with three other colleagues, at the third OSME held in America. Origami Pots are awarded a patent that same year.

2003Invited to participate in the Origami exhibition held at the American Folk Art Museum in San Diego, USA.

2004Invited by the Israel Origami Center in April to hold a solo show at the Hankin Gallery in Holon (Israel). In September, holds a solo show, UNIT & Spiral, at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany. Invited by the British Origami Society.

2005One of her works is chosen for the poster for the Masters of Origami exhibition held in July at Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria.

2006Invited by the Indiana Origami Association.

2008A guest at the General Convention held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Origami Sociëteit Nederland in Holland.

2009Holds the Felicità exhibit at the Origami Galerie in Freising, Germany, along with her husband Tarō Toriumi, a wood-block printmaker.

2010In March, invited by the origami associations of Colombia (Origami Bogotà) and Brazil. Along with her husband Tarō Toriumi, brings the Felicità exhibit to Friedrich-Fröbel-Museum in Bad Blankenburg, Germany. In August, invited to the CenterFold Origami Convention in America. In October, exhibits her origami at the Tokyo Art Shop Forum.

2011In January, she and her husband reopen the Felicità exhibition at the Holzwerkstatt Markus Faißt in Hittisau, Austria. One of the artists whose works are included in the Träume aus Handen exhibition at Galerie 13 in Freising, Germany.

2012One of the authors invited to the American traveling exhibition Folding Paper.

2013In May, invited to Germany by Origami Deutschland e.V. and to France by the Mouvement Francais des Plieurs de Papier. In November, nvited by Mexico Origami.

2014In June, invited to the CenterFold Origami Convention in America. In September, visits India and Butan on behalf of the Japan Foundation.

2015In September, participates together with Heinz Strobl at the Raumfalten exhibition, held at the European House of Art of Upper Bavaria in Freising, Germany. In November, invited by the Centro Diffusione Origami (CDO).

2016In April, holds a solo show, Harmony between Paper and Folding, at the Azumino Municipal Museum of Modern Art in Azumino, Japan. In May, takes part in the Origami Universe exhibition held at the Chimei Museum in Tainan, Taiwan. Invited by Origami USA in June, by the Korea Origami Association in August, and by the Argentine-Japanese Cultural Association in October.

2017In June, is present at the Japan Alps Art Festival (JAAF) in Omachi, Japan. In August, invited to England to celebratethe 50th anniversary of the British Origami Society. In October, invited to France by the Organisation des origa mistes de Rhône-Alpes et d’ailleurs.

2018In April, exhibits a new series of lamps and objects made out of washi paper that she conceived in collaboration with designer Denis Guidone.

UNIT & Spiral, Bauhaus,
Dessau, Germany, 2004

Masters of Origami, Hangar-7,
Salzburg, Austria, 2005

Raumfalten, European House of Art
Upper Bavaria, Freising, Germany, 2005

Yorokobi, with Taro Toriumi, Holzwerkstatt
Markus Faißt, Hittisau, Austria, 2011

Harmony between Paper and Folding, Azumino
Municipal Museum of Modern Art, Azumino, Japan, 2016