Rotorua man the 'Bruce Lee' of origami

Jonathan Baxter could be described as an origami master, the Bruce Lee of paper folding.

His one-time hobby has grown into a passion that has seen him develop a permanent origami display at Rotorua's Arts Village (Rave).

"I bought a how to book on origami and got hooked. I have been to Japan many times and all around the world with origami," he told the Daily Post.

The New Zealand Origami Collection will be officially opened by Consul General of Japan Mr Takamichi Okabe in a ceremony tomorrow and will feature designs from all over the world.

It will be followed by an open house for the public between 5.30pm and 7pm.

The centuries-old Japanese cultural pastime of paper folding has now become a worldwide art form.

"Even the Japanese are amazed by the new designs. Remember the fortune telling game you played with a piece of folded paper on your fingertips? That's origami. The paper planes you threw around the school room? That's origami too. The airbag in your car is also a very complex example of origami."

Up to 40 hours of time and effort can be poured into some of the more complex creations.

From an original number of about 300 traditional Japanese designs such as the crane or dragon origami has blossomed into about 30,000 recognised designs.

"Origami is a very good way to teach things like maths and science. It is a very tactile art form. We can provide schools with an interesting and educational field trip option," he said.

Mr Baxter will be offering guided tours of the display which includes a basic origami challenge.