A popular pastime in Japan has developed into a professional practice for expat artist Chieko Hester.
As a child, Chieko was taught by her father to fold origami cranes and she practised with friends at school.
“Origami itself back then was just that, it wasn’t something that you learnt properly, you just learn as you go,” she explains.
Immigrating to Australia at the age of 23, Chieko met her husband in Sydney and they later settled in Gisborne, where her husband had grown up.
“Until then I had never really done much origami, sometimes if there was origami paper I might have folded something, but I’d never really done much,” she says.
“Then my neighbour was doing card making and said ‘come along, we can do a few things together’ and as I was always a creative person I loved it!
“All the other ladies were making beautiful creative cards and I thought ‘I can’t be as good as them’, but then I thought, I can actually fold origami.
“I started putting my first origami shapes onto the cards and that was the start of my current journey.”
From 2012, with two young children and no longer working full-time, Chieko began honing her skills.
She branched out from card making and began also producing 3D framed artworks in a variety of sizes, from the tiny and intricate to large wall art, and even earrings and pendants.
On her last trip to Japan in 2019, just before before the pandemic hit, she sourced a good supply of beautiful Japanese origami paper.
Chieko’s work is now exhibited at The Gallery Mt Macedon, and at Art on Piper in Kyneton where she attends twice a month to meet visitors keen to know more about her work.
“It’s always great to talk to customers or people who are interested in my artwork, they actually get more information, not just look at it,” she says.
“I try to create work that has Japanese meaning to it and share my Japanese heritage with people.
“The crane has a meaning of good luck. One piece I did was a crane in all white. Cranes are monogamous and are a good omen for a lasting relationship so that particular white artwork went on to be someone’s wedding gift, which was really good.”
Chieko also creates commissioned pieces and runs workshops for workplaces or groups.
See more of her work at www.chienowa.com.au
