£425.00
Endure – Origami bird art
Acrylic on canvas
55.8 x 45.7 cm
Only 1 left in stock
Description
Unfolding Endure – A Portrait of Resilience and Origami Bird Art
I’m excited to share with you Endure, a vintage style painting with origami bird art.
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This piece is a portrait in profile of a young woman with a sleek dark bob, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater. Her bright red lipstick pops against the vivid light green backdrop, evoking a vintage vibe. The exact era of this style is intentionally ambiguous – whether it recalls the 1960s or the 1990s, it’s left for you to decide. Her expression is neutral as she gazes somewhere outside the frame, as if observing something beyond our reach.
Hanging around her are three origami birds, crafted from bright red paper. The origami bird art is suspended by nearly invisible strings, emphasising their delicate weightlessness and tranquillity. Nestled in her hair, is a small origami egg earring of the same red paper, symbolising regeneration and rebirth. The decision to incorporate these paper creations comes from a deeply personal place, inspired by a story that’s captivated me for over three decades.
The Inspiration Behind this Origami Bird Art
This piece was born from reflections on my partner’s mother’s recent trip to Japan. Specifically her visit to Hiroshima. Hiroshima’s history has haunted me ever since I first learned about it in school. The tragedy of the atomic bombing, and especially the tale of Sadako Sasaki, has lingered in my mind. Sadako’s story is one of both heartbreaking fragility and astounding strength, and it became the heartbeat of Endure.
Sadako was just two years old when the bomb fell on Hiroshima, but she survived. However, nearly a decade later, she developed leukaemia as a result of radiation exposure. Sadako’s story took on mythical proportions when she began folding origami cranes in the hospital, inspired by a Japanese belief that a person who folds a thousand paper cranes will have their wish granted. Despite her efforts (she folded well over a thousand cranes) her wish for health went unanswered, and she passed away in 1955.
For me, Sadako’s story has always represented the quiet resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming tragedy. This notion of endurance (of continuing to hope, to create, to live despite suffering) found its way into this painting, both in its colour palette and in the symbolic imagery of the origami pieces.
See all origami bird art print options at Saatchi Gallery
The Symbolism in Origami Bird Art
Origami bird art, as a craft, holds centuries of tradition and significance. The crane, in particular, is a beloved symbol in Japanese culture, often representing longevity, good fortune, and peace. In folklore, the crane is said to live for a thousand years, and folding a thousand cranes is believed to bring good fortune and grant the folder’s wish. Sadako’s story popularised this tradition worldwide, transforming the crane into an international symbol of peace and resilience.
In Endure, I chose to include not only cranes but also an origami egg, which symbolises rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. While the cranes are suspended, symbolising the fragility and beauty of fleeting moments, the egg hangs directly from the depths of her hair, representing a potential for renewal, even in the midst of adversity.
A Modern Take on Classic Themes
The aesthetic choices in Endure were made to evoke a feeling of timelessness, bridging the elegance of past eras with modern sensibilities. The vivid light green background and her black turtleneck lend the piece a pop-art feel, while the overall composition maintains a quiet, almost ethereal quality. She could be from the 1960s or the 1990s, and that ambiguity is intentional—it speaks to the enduring relevance of the emotions and themes I aimed to convey.
The piece is called Endure not just because of Sadako’s story, but because it reflects a universal experience of persistence through suffering. The origami bird art fluttering around her is fragile, but the birds are also a testament to the beauty that can emerge from a simple piece of paper, folded with intention and care. Likewise, we as humans can take our pain and suffering and shape it into something meaningful.
More Than a Portrait or Origami Bird Art
To me, Endure is more than just a portrait or a display of origami bird art. It’s a tribute to the strength found in vulnerability and a reminder of the quiet resilience that often goes unnoticed. I hope that when you look at this painting, you see not just a woman with a mysterious gaze, but the layers of stories and symbols that connect us all across time and space. Like Sadako’s cranes, this piece holds a wish: a wish for peace, for endurance, and for the renewal that follows.
This piece was a joy to work on. I hope it resonates with you and that perhaps, like Sadako’s story, it will linger with you long after you’ve left it.
Origami Bird Art Merchandise and Prints
Merchandise is available from Redbubble, and luxury prints are also available from Saatchi.
Absolutely no ai art should be created from this painting and it should in no way be used to train ai systems.
