Artist's creations defy perceptions of the craft to create pieces that transcend paper, Li Yingxue reports.

As you step into the lobby of The Peninsula Beijing, you are greeted by the breathtaking sight of colorful paper dragons, each made from a single 6-meter square paper. The magnificent creatures, untouched by scissors or glue, exude strength and grace, and their intricate folds bring them to life in the air.

Nine dragon installations adorn the hotel's public spaces. They are the work of acclaimed paper folding artist Liu Tong. Drawing inspiration from the iconic Nine-Dragon Wall in Beijing's Beihai Park, he spent over three months infusing traditional Chinese imagery with modern artistic flair.

But the journey doesn't end there. On the third floor, the Art Gallery hosts a solo exhibition by the artist, The Art of Paper. Here, Liu's timeless classics like the Northern white Rhinoceros and whimsical creations such as Balzac and Garfield delight visitors, alongside other colorful creations.

From making state gifts to installations for international brands like Hermes, Liu's journey from paper folding enthusiast to revered artist has been nothing short of the extraordinary. Since his introduction to the art in 2006, he has transformed this ancient craft into a boundless realm of creativity that invites people to explore the endless possibilities of a single sheet of paper.

"Paper folding is pure magic — a blend of tradition and innovation," Liu reflects. "With every fold, I aim to push the boundaries of this art form, creating beauty that knows no bounds."

The exhibition highlights a series of paper-folded rhinos, including life-size pieces and other colorful examples.

This series originated in a piece Liu created for the Guinness World Records — a colossal paper-folding rhinoceros which he and his team made out of a 196-square-meter sheet of white paper in 2017. It took them over three hours to fold the massive sheet into the shape of a rhino that finally stood seven meters tall and four meters wide.

Creating this masterpiece took teamwork. Liu and his team meticulously moved across the paper, bending over, squatting, and crawling to make the rhino.

However, the project wasn't just a demonstration of skill. The artist also sought to raise awareness of animal conservation, especially of Sudan, the last male northern white rhinoceros, who was still alive at the time. Sudan passed away in Kenya in 2018. Liu spent a year preparing for the project in the hopes that it would inspire people to protect wildlife and shun products derived from endangered species.

Cameron Cundle, the managing director of The Peninsula Beijing, was initially drawn to Liu's rhinoceros pieces and was inspired by them to invite him to hold a solo exhibition.

At the exhibition, Cundle was particularly fascinated by flat paper pieces, which make use of lines and colors to create geometric designs. "I like the shapes," Cundle remarks. "But they're actually folded patterns that create the artwork, which is cool."

After trying his hand at making a paper dragon during a workshop, Cundle gained firsthand understanding of the intricate art form and realized that it demands patience, much like meditation. "You can't skip a step. You have to be precise from the very beginning and stay disciplined," he says, adding that it's amazing how a piece of paper can be made into something so beautiful.

Unexpected encounter

Liu's fascination with paper folding began with a single paper rose. In 2006, while he was studying in Germany, he was captivated by a passenger on a bus effortlessly making a paper rose for a nearby girl, leading to a happy conversation between the two.

This unexpected encounter completely changed Liu's view of paper folding. Until then, he had only seen flat, monotonous creations, but the passenger's lifelike, three-dimensional paper rose ignited a passion for the art.

When he returned home, he searched online for tutorials on making paper roses and spent the entire night following instructions in German, successfully folding his very first rose.

This further fueled his love of paper folding. From then on, he dedicated every spare moment to experimenting with different designs. Starting with simple pieces like cranes and owls, his collection quickly filled a room.

In 2014, and already gaining recognition in the world of paper folding, Liu was given the fresh challenge of coming up with a special gift to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Gabon during the World Peace Festival. Liu recalls that the real challenge wasn't folding paper, but deciding on the perfect gift.

After careful thought, he settled on making a blue-and-white porcelain vase. It took him over three months to perfect the design. Initially, his prototypes were off by 2 millimeters, prompting him to tweak the pattern numerous times. After over 100 drafts and more than 1,000 sheets of paper, he finally got it right.

The difficulty stemmed from the vase's curved lines, which Liu had initially depicted as straight. To fix this, he had to recalculate and redesign the pattern with precision.

The following year, he made a big decision and left his job as a lecturer at the Renmin University of China to focus entirely on paper folding.

In 2015, one of his pieces, a representation of a Bronze Age ding caldron was given as a gift to the Japanese ambassador on the International Day of Peace. The following year, Hermes invited him to make window displays for their flagship store in Doha, Qatar, under the theme of "Wild Nature 2016". The displays, which showcased various animals, drew many visitors eager to take photos.

While some people may think paper folding is simple and quick, like making a paper airplane, Liu says it requires mental focus, time, and physical effort, much like running a marathon, especially when it comes to large-scale creation.

He says that paper folding demands attention to detail and precise calculation at every step, from choosing the right paper to designing the folds. Making large paper-folding pieces also involves considering factors like the paper's strength and flexibility. "It's like solving a math problem," he explains.

Unlike painting, which adds layers onto a canvas, or sculpture, which in most times subtracts from the raw material, paper folding is a process of allocation. "It's a process of creation from single white sheets of paper," Liu says. "It's also a nostalgic art form, upgraded from the childhood paper planes or boats we all once folded. When I'm folding, I lose track of time, and become completely absorbed in my own little world."

Exploring crossovers

China's paper-folding scene is home to plenty of up-and-coming talent, and online forums are filled with enthusiasts. But it's still rare for someone to make paper folding their full-time job; most people just see it as a hobby.

What sets Liu apart as a professional artist is his vision for what the art can be, and his work has caught the attention of many brands, especially luxury brands.

"When I'm making my own work, I see myself as an artist. But when I work with brands, I see myself more as a designer. I use my art to collaborate and create something special for them," he explains.

He doesn't find making a new design hard. His years of experience mean he's used to calculations and experiments. What is hard is making a new piece that has its own style, rather than one that shows off its difficulty.

"Nowadays, paper folding is a way for me to explore more, to try out new collaborations," he says.

Looking ahead, he wants his work to have greater meaning, maybe by focusing on issues like animal conservation, or by making pieces that make people think.

Paper folding is just one of Liu's hobbies. He also loves woodworking, making niche musical instruments, making leather goods, and making silver jewelries.

Lately, he has been trying to use bacterial cellulose to fold. "Folding is everywhere — when you blink, when insects flap their wings — and it has many uses," he says.

"Paper folding also has lots of uses in engineering; it can be used in everyday items, like air safety bags in cars," Liu says, adding that he's working with researchers to see what else the art can be used to do.

These experiments in different fields are new territory, but Liu's happy to explore it alone, enjoying the thrill of discovering something new.

In January, he teamed up with pastry chef Xu Bing to introduce the new, paper folding-themed afternoon tea served in the lobby of The Peninsula Beijing, adding a fresh twist to traditional paper culture by blending it with culinary delight.

This unique afternoon tea combines Chinese-style steamed and crispy treats with paper works in the form of angular designs and vibrant Chinese reds and yellows to create a touch of Eastern elegance.

During their collaboration, Liu and Xu ensured that each pastry displayed distinct folds, adding to the paper folding-inspired aesthetics.

Xu explains that his aim was to create a harmonious balance of ingredients and flavors that also echoed Liu's vision of the art as an art of balance and distribution.

The menu also includes a fun surprise — guests get to make their own lucky items with auspicious meanings, like fortune bags, red packets, and lanterns, using paper Liu has predesigned.

The highlight of the afternoon tea is a chocolate Chinese dragon, which draws inspiration from Liu's nine Dragon Spirit Wall installation in the hotel's lobby.