Heliconia Bihai

This model marks a turning point in my approach to origami design. Before I designed this, my view of the function of "rivers" in circle-packing was unclear. Because of the asymmetrical nature where the petals are staggered left and right, I had to entirely re-think my approach to origami design. My eventual conclusion, which is that rivers are simply separation between flaps and can be represented by concentric circles, revolutionized the possibilities of my designs.

While this plant is extremely colorful, it is not actually a flower, or at least the visible part isn't - the actual flowers of the plant grow inside the bright red and green bracts. There are numerous varieties of heliconia, also called the "false bird of paradise", but I chose this species because I felt it was particularly stunning. Because of the break-through it provided in my design efforts, this model will always be special to me even if it is eclipsed by further creations.

Design date: July, 2007

Paper used: A single un-cut square of tissue foil.