Gabriel Shapps

My name is Gabriel Shapps. I specialize in wet-folding human faces using Arches watercolor paper. I am drawn to wet-folding because it departs from the rigid geometry that defines much of traditional origami and instead functions as a sculptural medium. Rather than relying on precise reference points and predetermined structures, wet-folding allows the paper to behave more like clay, making it possible to pursue subtle anatomy, curvature, and expression.
My goal with each piece is simple: it must be better than the last. Recently my work has focused on improving facial anatomy and pushing the emotional range that can be conveyed through folded paper.  I am one of a small number of folders working extensively with Arches paper for wet-folding. Its strength and fiber structure allow for sculptural forms that would collapse in most traditional origami papers. Beyond creating my own work, I also enjoy teaching wet-folding and introducing others to the technique, since it remains a relatively niche practice within the broader origami community.
Although I have been folding origami for about twelve years, I began focusing seriously on wet-folding roughly six months ago. In that time it has quickly become the primary direction of my work, and I am continuing to refine both the technical control and the expressive potential of the medium.