Ray Schamp

Ray Schamp’s unique style of origami was influenced by his long-time interests in visual art and
the sciences. Raised in Baltimore by working artists and science professionals, he emerged from
his childhood with an appreciation for order, the natural world, and design. His art reflects his
experiences growing up, his studies of biology at Oberlin College, and his current work as a web
developer.
Schamp characterizes his style of origami as ‘corrugation’, in reference to the pleated surfaces
that comprise the work. Through the development of this genre, Schamp has become involved in
the greater community of origami artists, especially those who focus on the creation of repeated
patterns in paper. His participation in this community has refined Schamp's understanding of his
own work by challenging him to deeply explore the nuances of his technique and theory.
For Schamp, the experience of making each piece is as important as the piece itself – the art of
origami lies in the evolution of the flat piece of paper into its final form. He understands his work
as a form of emergence, where the end result is not pre-meditated, but is a function of the
process by which it was created.
Corrugations differ from traditional origami not only because they are non-representational, but
also because the role of each crease is apparent in the final piece. As described by a colleague in
the origami community, “The bare bones of the fold displayed are stripped to their essentials.
Here is folding from first principles…” Schamp’s work demonstrates the basic mechanics of
paper, because each crease visibly contributes to the larger structure.
Teaching is a vital part of Schamp’s artistic practice. He understands origami corrugations as a
medium for expressing mathematical and scientific ideas, and encourages others to do so as well.
By sharing his method and philosophy of folding, he hopes to inspire artists, both within and
outside of the origami community, to further explore his ideas.

View his work

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