Mon, Sep 09, 2002 page4

• Taiwanese origami artist Meng knows when to fold

  ARTS AND CRAFTS Meng Yung-kuei is no ordinary paper pusher. The Taiwanese native makes chickens, turtles and other animals from colorful pieces of paper

  • CNA
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  When was the last time you saw a team of piglets playing basketball against a squad of small chickens with a turtle overlooking as referee? What about tigers, elephants and ducks listening to a chorus of frogs singing happily? Welcome to the exotic world of Meng Yung-kuei's (孟永瑰) origami.

  Meng, a Taiwan-born paper handicraft artist who has lived in Wichita Fall, Texas since she married US military officer Ramon G. Chavez 27 years ago, said she has taken great pleasure in folding paper into her favorite animals, particularly piglets and chickens -- the two animals that her mother raised to help with the family finances during her childhood.

  With her husband's support, Meng quit her regular job three years ago and has since devoted her full energies to the art of paper folding, also known as origami in Japanese. She has so far created more than 3,000 folded paper objects depicting birds, flowers, fish and many other kinds of animals. She has also developed 25 different kinds of paper folding methods.

  Meng, 50, recalled that Taiwan was still an agricultural backwater during her childhood in the 1950s.

  "My family didn't have extra money to buy me and my elder brothers toys. Therefore, my mother taught us how to fold paper into decorative objects. Sometimes, we folded paper into balls we used for playing games."

  Meng said she has since developed an affection for paper. "I like sheets of paper as they can be folded into beautiful and interesting objects. When I was still a schoolgirl, I often picked up small pieces of paper littered on the streets, straightened them as much as possible and then folded them into small animals," she remembered.

  After moving to the US, Meng said, she continued spending her leisure time folding paper animals. At first, she kept her creations in old boxes. A few years ago, her son suggested that she share her lovely "brainchildren" with other children instead of storing them. He also suggested that she use them in stories and fantasies to inject a new vision into her creative career.

  The mother of two grown-up children said she likes to view the world from the angle of young children.

  "Since Americans like to watch ball games and attend pop music concerts, I fold paper into piglets playing baseball, piglets playing basketball with chickens and frogs singing in chorus, with tigers, elephants and ducklings looking on as the audience."

  Meng decorated a park in her neighborhood with stylized animals -- a mother duck leading a group of ducklings playing in a flower garden, schools of fish swimming in the pool over which stands a small bridge. The park also features Meng's many other paper handicrafts -- Chinese-style pavilions, red cranes, lobsters and sailboats.

  Even more amazing is that Meng manages to fold sesame seed-sized birds and bees perching on a bush of only 10cm2.

  "It often takes 20 to 30 minutes to fold such a small bee. It's not easy to do. But I find the challenge quite interesting," she said.

  Meng's paper handicrafts are rich in imagination, humor and colors. The belly of her turtle is soft and her fish work features a fat belly.

  Meng's paper handicrafts were displayed on television recently. Wichita Fall's KAUZ TV introduced her wonderful world of paper folding last week. Her handicrafts were also shown at a city library last month.

  Meng said she likes to have more children see her creations. "But sometimes I have to turn down invitation for exhibitions due to the distance. Paper handicrafts are easily damaged and it is difficult to send them. Earlier this year, I turned down an invitation from the US Paper Folding Association for an exhibit in New York."

  Meng's son recently set up a Web site (http: //www.origamicartoon.com) to display her work.

  "Now children in Taiwan can also see my works on the Internet. I find comfort in doing something for my homeland this way," she added.
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