There’s nothing more admirable—or nerdy!—than dedicating one’s life to perfecting a craft. Finnish origami artist Juho KönkköläOpens in a new tab deserves a ton of admiration in this regard as he has 15 years of experience folding paper prettily at the ripe old age of 23. His latest creation, a seven-inch-tall origami knight consisting of a single sheet of paper, is emblematic of his skills. And the creation stands proudly on its own thanks to 41 hours of folding.
Juho KönkköläOpens in a new tab
My Modern MetOpens in a new tab picked up on Könkkölä’s origami knight, which the artist made from a single, square sheet of paper. Specifically, a 28×28 inch piece of Wenzhou rice paperOpens in a new tab—material that’s white as alabaster, soft yet firm, and resistant to aging and worms.
In the video above Könkkölä has condensed his 41-hour-long build process into a 20-minute time-lapse. We imagine only the most hardcore folders out there will attentively watch the full video, but even skipping through you get a sense of the task’s difficulty. Without multiple sheets or scissors, Könkkölä somehow manages to bloom the knight’s armorOpens in a new tab, shield, and sword as if they were all separate pieces.
Like this knight, Könkkölä’s other origami figures cast striking poses and brandish weaponry. Könkkölä has three other figures on his YouTube channelOpens in a new tab, including an epic, must-see samurai warrior (below). As well as a spearman and a figure from the video game, NieR Replicant.
Of course Juho Könkkölä isn’t the only incredible origami artist throwing down online. Origami artist and YouTuber Tadashi MoriOpens in a new tab, for example, has creations that undoubtedly rival Könkkölä’s. Mori even has a lineup of videos showing how to make Star Wars origami figuresOpens in a new tab. Speaking of which, we’d love to see Könkkölä try his hand at some sci-fi figures. The artist has a ton of medieval and magical samples on his InstagramOpens in a new tab, but not a single character with a lightsaber. Although to be fair, Wenzhou rice paper is probably quite flammable.
Feature image: Juho KönkköläOpens in a new tab
