origami - art

Modern origami is a unique sculptural art. Each origami design must be individually folded; there is no mass-production process. My designs are folded from selected papers, some of which I have made myself, each paper chosen to complement the design and composition. All of the art pieces on display in the galleries are my own compositions.





I do most of my work on commission, both for commercial usage and for private collectors. Commissions include both works based on existing designs and original design commissions.


While most of the works shown on the website have been sold or are committed to exhibitions, I am happy to take on commissions based on any of these designs. Each origami figure is folded by hand (unlike, for example, prints or bronzes, there is no way to mass-produce artistic origami), and so each origami figure, even if based on an existing design, is a unique original figure. Commissioned works based on existing designs are priced individually by request and typically run between $200-1500.






















I also do commissioned original designs. They, too, are priced individually, and typically range from $500 to $3000, depending on the particular subject and its complexity. Size and paper requirements also play a role: monumental origami (origami in large scale) can be several thousand dollars for the complete project, and not all subjects foldable at small scale can make the transition to large size.

For all commissioned work please contact me for price and availability.


provides a guide to the performer (in origami, the folder) while allowing the performer to express his or her own personality through interpretation and variation. A collection of my designs can be found in the galleries listed in the bar to the left. Click on the compositions link to see the newest entries; click on a gallery name to be taken to that section.





















Origami, like music, permits both composition and performance as expressions of the art. Over the past 35 years, I have developed over 480 original origami compositions. About a quarter of these have been published with folding instructions, which, in origami, serve the same purpose that a musical score does:


Origami can be used effectively in web, print, and television advertising and I have created commissioned pieces for several print, television, and animation projects. If you know what you want, I can probably fold it in origami. If you are looking for ideas, feel free to browse through the galleries for ideas. For commercial commissions


I have exhibited my work at a number of one-man and group exhibitions over the past 15 years. Click here for a listing of recent and upcoming shows.


I regularly give talks about origami and its connections to art, mathematics, science, and technology, to audiences ranging from art aficionados, students, designers, and engineers. Click here for a listing of recent and upcoming appearances open to the public. I also give private talks and workshops to corporate design organizations; contact me to discuss details.


I have had some of my origami cast in bronze for a permanent installation in Santa Monica, California. Click here for a description and some pictures of this work.


Monumental origami is origami folded at large scale, from several feet to several meters in size. Click here for a description and some pictures of monumental works I have done. If you're interested in commissioning a monumental figure, contact me to discuss details.


For the past few years, I and several other origami composers have engaged in an informal design challenge, in which we all attempted to compose a new version of the same subject. Click here for a description and some pictures of various entries.

, i.e., those used in advertising or other commercial purposes, usage fees apply and their magnitude depends on the form of usage, circulation of the publication, and level of exclusivity desired. Pricing is specific to the job, but I generally follow

the guidelines of the Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. Commercial work can also include custom folding instructions, although this is generally only practical for simpler models.


Dr. Lang was born in Ohio and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Along the way to his current career as a full-time origami artist and consultant he worked as as a physicist, engineer, and R&D manager, during which time he authored or co-authored over 80 technical publications and 50 patents awarded and pending on semiconductor lasers, optics, and integrated optoelectronics. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, a member of the IEEE Photonics Society, and the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics. In 2009, he received the highest honor of Caltech, the Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Lang resides in Alamo, California.




















Dr. Lang is one of the pioneers of the cross-disciplinary marriage of origami with mathematics; he has been one of the few Western columnists for Origami Tanteidan Magazine, the journal of the Japan Origami Academic Society, and has presented several refereed technical papers on origami-math at mathematical and computer science professional meetings. He has consulted on applications of origami to engineering problems ranging from air-bag design to expandable space telescopes. He is the author or co-author of nine books and numerous articles on origami art and design.