The self-taught artist creates his own paper store with incredible origami animals

[web_stories title=”true” excerpt=”false” author=”false” date=”false” archive_link=”true” archive_link_label=”” circle_size=”150″ sharp_corners=”false” image_alignment=”left” number_of_columns=”1″ number_of_stories=”18″ order=”DESC” orderby=”post_title” view=”circles” /]Some artists make sculptures out of heavy materials such as marble or bronze, while others are drawn to something lighter. Self-taught artist Patrick Alberto Viraja subtly marks and folds sheets of paper to create elaborate sculptures of animals that look like real models.

Based in Romania, he has been creating origami since he was 24 years old. This passion, which began with paper airplanes, has now progressed to more complex subjects, such as birds with large feathers and wings. “My latest piece of origami is a big owl,” Vraja tells My Modern Met. “After I finished the step-by-step tutorial, I studied the anatomy of the owl and tried to make it realistic.” If you look closely at his owl sculptures, they contain many refined features such as blades, single feathers, beaks and eyes.

To deal with such ambitious subjects, the artist needs large pieces of tissue paper that can be up to 5 feet in length and width. “I don’t usually design my origami sculptures, they come to me naturally,” the artist adds. “One day I can bend a dragon, another day an owl! And magical. I also get daily inspiration from friends, which makes me want to fold that origami too. ”In addition to creating these amazing models, Vraja also records his work so that others can learn from his experience.

Scroll down to see more sculptures of Vraja and stay up to date on his latest work by following him on Instagram