Bridges 2025 Exhibition of Mathematical Art, Craft, and Design

Neel Dalela

Artists

Neel Dalela

Artist

Member, Puget Sound Area Paperfolding Enthusiasts Roundtable (PAPER)

Seattle, Washington, USA

neel.origami@gmail.com

https://www.instagram.com/neel.origami/

Statement

Origami has been an integral part of my interaction with art. I have been folding origami for the past six years, where I use a single sheet of paper and transform it into detailed sculptures without cutting the paper or adding extra sheets. My representational origami seeks to convey the beauty of 3D space. Each fold follows a set of mathematical rules, but within those constraints, there’s room for creativity. Drawing inspiration from the works of Joel Cooper, I experiment with irregular twists on a tessellated plane. These twists form curved 3D surfaces which can be used to form more detailed shapes. Highlighting the intersection between topology and art.

Artworks

Image for entry 'Mentuhotep'

Mentuhotep

23.0 x 23.0 x 5.0 cm

Double Tissue paper

2025

This mask is inspired by the works of Joel Cooper, which include emerging faces on a tessellated plane. It is deeply connected with mathematics because of the hexagonal tessellation on the midground. It highlights that an organic shape, such as a human face, can emerge from the mathematical and rigid tessellation. Similar to the universe we live in as it is driven by rules of maths and science, however organic life emerges from them. This work is unique as it does not aim to create an anatomically correct face, rather its intention is to simply draw attention to the prominent features such as the nose, mouth and eyes. This stylistic choice reinforces the link between mathematics and organic life by connecting hexagons to facial features.