Michael LaFosse

Michael G. LaFosse is an American origami artist, designer, papermaker, author, and teacher whose work is deeply inspired by the natural world.

His interest in paper folding began in childhood, but a major turning point came in the early 1970s when he discovered an article about Japanese origami master Akira Yoshizawa. Yoshizawa’s expressive sculptures helped LaFosse see origami not simply as a craft, but as a form of artistic expression. As a teenager in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a city with a strong papermaking tradition, he also began experimenting with making his own paper for folding.

LaFosse later trained as a wildlife biologist, and this background continues to influence his designs today. His models often reflect a close observation of the proportions, movement, and character of animals and plants, rather than simply reproducing their appearance.

In 1994, LaFosse became a full-time origami artist, and in 1996 he co-founded Origamido Studio with his longtime collaborator Richard L. Alexander. Together, they have combined origami design, teaching, and hand papermaking, creating custom papers specifically suited to individual folded sculptures.

LaFosse’s work has been exhibited internationally, and he has authored and co-authored dozens of books and publications on origami and paper arts. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic animal designs and his extensive collection of original butterflies, which have become one of the most recognizable parts of his work.