It is said that if a man (or woman) folds a thousand origami cranes, his wish will be granted. Either that, or the patient repetition of such a fiddly task, a thousand times over, might cause him to reach a zen state in which he’ll have no worldly desires left to wish for. Either way, origami is a fascinating art form that fills one with a sense of great accomplishment. It is also very pretty. We think everyone should give it a go and to this purpose we caught up with Khouloud Sinno Hibri, Lebanese artist, tutor and craftswoman of Japanese paper art.
With a background in fashion design, Khouloud has had an interesting personal and artistic journey through Japan before she ended up here in Abu Dhabi. Her work is focused on origami and Japanese kurumie – a handcraft which involves an intricate framed image that is made of a special paper called washi. The washi is padded so that the artwork has a 2D effect. Khouloud’s interest in kurumie began with origami. After folding enough paper animals she wanted to move onto something more detailed, and lasting. Today she teaches origami and kurumie classes in Abu Dhabi, which is what we spoke to her about.
Your background is in fashion design and you come from a culture that has a rich artistic heritage, so why Japanese art?
My interest in Japanese art began with the kimono, because I come from a fashion background. I loved the kimono and was interested in all the fabrics and different pieces that it is made of. After I married my husband who is half Japanese and half Lebanese, I had a chance to go to Japan. There I learned more about other art forms like the tea ceremony and the flower arrangement, and then after that origami and kurumie.
Can you tell us how you started doing kurumie?
At first I began with origami, which is very interesting but it’s only made of a single piece of paper and it isn’t something you can display. I wanted to combine my artwork with fashion and I found out about kurumie which allows you to create any kind of form – portrait or even costumes. This appealed to me.
What material do you use and how do you source it?
I use washi, which is a special kind of paper that is made of different kinds of vegetable fibre. It is very soft and has beautiful designs. I get the washi from Japan.
You’ve had five exhibitions in Abu Dhabi so far, have you got anything new coming up?
I have some work that is displayed in Café Arabia at the moment. It has an Arabic theme but the artwork is the same technique as kurumie. I have some of Arabic calligraphy and mosques, and some ladies wearing Arabic costume. Also I am displaying artworks at L’atelier des Arts and there will be a collective exhibition at Ghaf Gallery at the end of this month where I will be exhibiting too.
You also make jewellery which is similar in the way it combines Arabic/Middle Eastern forms with Japanese motifs?
Yes. I make different kinds of jewellery, and for some of them I also use washi paper.
Can you tell us about your origami and kurumie classes?
The kurumie classes are individual, private lessons. But the origami classes run weekly at L’atelier des Arts. We have children’s classes on Saturdays and a class for adults on Tuesdays. Our lessons run for over five or six weeks and I take students up to an intermediate level. At the beginning I teach how to make the folds step by step and we make easy ones like some animals or basic flowers which are made of fewer folds. Every lesson we will do four or five different kinds of origami.
What’s the hardest origami you teach?
Some people find the crane difficult, I teach this. And also the iris. These are ones we will learn to make in the last classes.
Have you tested the thousand cranes thing? Does your wish really come true?
I have! And yes, it does.
What did you wish for?
My wish was for health and success.
You can learn more about Khouloud’s work at www.khouloudsinno.com. Origami classes at L’atelier des Arts run weekly on Saturdays (for children) and Tuesdays (for adults). Prices are Dhs720 for five weeks of two-hour lessons for children, and Dhs920 for six weeks of two-hour lessons for adults. For more info call Khouloud on 050 775 7706.
