There is a legend in Japan that if a person is able to fold 1,000 origami paper cranes, he/she will be granted a wish. In 2011, Japan, there was a large scale paper crane tribute to Sadako Sasaki, a Hiroshima bomb survivor, that French artist Mademoiselle Maurice participated in.
Courtesy of Mademoiselle Maurice
Mademoiselle Maurice had recently witnessed the 2011 nuclear plant explosion of Fukushima and was especially sympathetic towards the paper crane tribute, which gave her the idea to continue creating beautiful origami murals as a “tribute to all the victims of the violent actions in our world.” She then went on to create origami street art in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and France.
Courtesy of Mademoiselle Maurice
Most recently Mademoiselle Maurice took part in the 2013 ARTAQ Festival in Angers, France, where she created 3 new colorful origami installations. With the help of the citizens of Angers, Mademoiselle produced 30,000 folded components that she used to brighten the front gates of the Saint-Maurice cathedral with a vibrant geometric design and pave the front stairway with an origami river of color.
Her third installation was a massive origami mural of a laughing person. These are just a small taste of the thought-provoking and vivid creations that Mademoiselle Maurice has made. Hopefully she will continue to cover the streets with origami and make more murals soon. But right now, you can view her origami on Colossal, Twitter, My Modern Met, Designboom, or Vimeo.
Anastasia Andreieva is an accomplished Architectural Projects Editor at Arch2O, bringing a unique blend of linguistic expertise and design enthusiasm to the team. Born and raised in Ukraine, she holds a Master’s degree in Languages from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her deep passion for architecture and visual storytelling led her to transition from translation and editorial roles into the world of design media. With a keen eye for conceptual clarity and narrative structure, Anastasia curates and presents global architectural projects with precision and flair. She is particularly drawn to parametric and digital design, cultural context, and emerging voices in architecture. When I’m not analyzing the latest architectural trends, you’ll probably find me searching for hidden gems in cityscapes or appreciating the beauty of well-crafted spaces. After all, great design—like great connections—can be found in the most unexpected places. Speaking of connections, because architecture isn’t the only thing that brings people together.