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🌸 Origami Floral Swirls by Madhura Gupta
Published 6 days ago • 3 min read
For this edition of Origami Unfold, we’re featuring a model that feels both simple and beautiful, Floral Swirls by Madhura Gupta. Folded from a single circle of paper, it turns gentle curves into a soft, floral form.
Madhura is an origami designer from Kolkata, India. She first discovered origami as a child, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she truly returned to it, almost by accident. Since then, she has folded one model a day for years, and that steady, meditative practice naturally grew into designing her own. Her work often blends geometric structure with a calm, thoughtful simplicity, whether in modular pieces or single-sheet designs like this one.
I’ll let Madhura take it from here. – Flo
Floral Swirls by Madhura Gupta
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I like experimenting. When I started creating my own models, I didn’t want to limit myself to squares only. This model, too, is the result of one such experiment. I wanted to use a circular sheet of paper and make sure the curves were part of the finished model. I was happy with how it turned out. It’s simple, but so effective.
Recommended paper: To fold this model for the first time, it’s best to start with a 15x15 cm (6x6 in) square of Kami, as it has the perfect thickness and is the right size. Later, other papers with different thicknesses, sizes, and patterns can be experimented with.
Using a circle cutter gives you a nice, precise circle. The finished model has a few layers, so it’s best to start with Kami to get a feel for it. When assembling the model, fold the creases softly. This will give you a model that’s a bit more three-dimensional and looks neater.
When I started folding in 2019, I was making a lot of modulars, cubes, and kusudamas. I loved how meditative the whole process was. It was almost as if the world around me paused. It also felt magical to see how we could “build” something out of nothing but paper.
How would you describe your style or approach to folding?
I prefer creating models that aren’t too complicated but still have a very satisfying folding sequence. Both the model and the folding sequence have to be neat and geometric. It soothes my soul.
Do you have a favorite paper?
I love trying out new papers as much as I love folding. My favourite paper tends to change from time to time, but right now it would be Tant and Elephant Hide.
Has origami helped you in a meaningful moment in your life?
Origami has definitely added more meaning to my life than I could have ever imagined. I stumbled across it at a particularly difficult time in my life, and I couldn’t be more glad that I found it.
What advice would you give to someone who has just started folding?
I think it’s important to start with the basics. That’s what helped me when I first began folding. As a child, I remember trying to fold a 30-unit modular with no prior experience, and I failed miserably. That really put me off. Later on, I came back to modulars by carefully choosing models that were easy and that I knew I could fold. I started with cubes, and being able to fold them gave me the confidence to try new things.
🖼️ Gallery
A quick gallery highlighting a few of Madhura’s own favorites.
Model names: Fiorenza (Red/White), Sen Star, Calcutta Star Variation, Water-Lily (nested modular), Deltaic Cube
Thank you for reading this edition of Origami Unfold.
I hope Madhura’s Floral Swirls brings you a quiet, satisfying moment at the folding table.
In the next edition, we’ll move in a very different direction with Caleb Witte and his Leviathan, a striking, flowing creature that plays beautifully with long lines and movement (the diagrams are already available for our Origami Friends 😉).
Happy folding!
Madhura Gupta
Origami Artist
Florent Fabre
Co-Chief Folding Officer
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