Paper form

Hiroshi Ogawa's "Formes of Paper" is a collection of works that document paper sculpture, transforming a single sheet of paper into three-dimensional forms through operations such as "folding," "bending," "cutting," and "assembling." The first edition was published by Kyuryudo in 1967, and this item is the third edition, published on September 1, 1976.

The first half features monochrome photographs of various three-dimensional works created from white paper. The photos capture not only the shapes themselves but also the structures created by the paper's folds, curved surfaces, cut edges, and shadows. The latter half, titled "Making," introduces the production method for each work with diagrams, allowing a detailed view of the process leading to the finished form.

In his afterword, Ogawa noted that the more paper is manipulated, the more it departs from its inherent beauty as a material, and conversely, the simpler the operation, the more the beauty of the paper itself is preserved. This book chronicles his work in re-examining paper, a familiar material, as a medium for sculpture and form-making.

The preface is by Hiroshi Hara. Book design and layout are by Ikko Tanaka, frontispiece photography by Yukio Futagawa, and work photography by Minoru Kurihara. In 1968, work related to this book earned him the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award, and in the same year, the "Formes of Paper Exhibition" was held at the Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa.

[Title] Formes of Paper
[Publisher] Kyuryudo
[Date of Publication] September 1, 1976 (3rd edition)
[Number of Pages] 114 pages
[Size] Approx. 175 x 265 x 16mm / 695g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] KAMI NO FORUM
[Author/Editor, etc.] Hiroshi Ogawa / Author, Hiroshi Hara / Preface, Ikko Tanaka / Book Design & Layout, Yukio Futagawa / Frontispiece Photo, Minoru Kurihara / Work Photography
[Printing/Binding] Hirohashi Seihan Insatsu / Printing, Kishida Seihon / Binding
[ISBN] -
[Condition] Used [2] Fair (lacks slipcase, dust jacket, and extras; slight age-related tanning on edges, otherwise good)
[Accessories] -
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] "Formes of Paper Exhibition," Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa, 1968

Hiroshi Ogawa (born 1932)

Born in 1932. Sculptor.

Began exhibiting at the Action Art Exhibition in 1955. Participated in the Modern Sculpture Group Exhibition, Japan International Art Exhibition, Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition, and Showakai Exhibition. In 1963, he received the Ube City Award at the 1st Ube City Outdoor Sculpture Competition.

In 1967, Kyuryudo published "Formes of Paper." In the same year, he participated in the "MADE WITH PAPER" exhibition in New York. In 1968, he received the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award and held the "Formes of Paper Exhibition" at the Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa.

Using paper, a familiar material, he created three-dimensional forms through simple operations such as folding, bending, cutting, and assembling.

< Related Figures >

Hiroshi Hara
Ikko Tanaka
Yukio Futagawa
Minoru Kurihara
Kiyoshi Awazu
Kazumasa Nagai
Kyuryudo
Museum of Modern Art, Kanagawa