Kyla McCallum has "Foldability"

Kyla McCallum has “Foldability”

By Elise Christian Origami master Kyla McCallum explains how the craft is pushing boundaries as it’s used in “all sorts of weird and fascinating ways”. The evolution of origami has seen simply crafted animals and flowers transform into cancer treatments, space satellites and architecture. As the founder of London-based studio Foldability which creates origami set design and interior products, Kyla understands just how intricate origami can be. Kyla’s creations include a 2000 hand-folded flower set design for H&M and bespoke lighting for Ted Baker.

Although Kyla is about to embark on a two-week holiday in the sun, it was originally a struggle finding a work-life balance around the labour-intensive craft.

Kyla founded Foldability in 2013 but she has always “enjoyed balance and symmetry” which she associates with her unique form of dyslexia. Her origami journey begun in 2007 when she discovered the works of artists and architects like Buckminster Fuller, Magnus Wenninger and Ron Resch, whilst studying in Cologne. The inspiration she drew from these designers ignited her passion for origami and geometry and paved the way for a career inspired by the craft. She clarifies “Ever since then, most of the projects I’ve worked on have had an element relating to geometry or origami”. Kyla’s inspiration can also be accredited to her 15-year-old “picture library” containing thousands of images organised into categories such as “red” “blue” “polkadots” “eggs”, “games” and “pop-ups”. These pictures come together to form colour-coordinated mood boards which offer ideas and motivation to the designer whenever she has a project pending. Kyla is also a frequent visitor of the Museum of Childhood in London which she describes as her “favourite museum” because it exhibits “all sorts of wonderful and colourful strange objects” – all handmade of course!

Kyla’s appetite for origami is demonstrated by the commitment and craftsmanship she lent to a 4- year project developing a “fold pendant” light design for company, Northern. Her work not only involves the simple art of “making”; it is often supported by extensive research and prototyping. Even Kyla’s quickest pieces which tend to be “small hand-held origami pieces, which take a few minutes each” are still produced in “batches of hundreds and thousands” after days or weeks of folding. As well as creating individual pieces for top brands, Kyla occasionally deviates from her usual role to lend a creative hand to other designers. She may be found “doing a ‘making’ demonstration at an event” or “presenting research to inspire a group of automotive interior designers”.

Although Kyla’s job allows her to enter a “meditative state” by helping her to clear her mind and “filter out all the noise”, this wasn’t always the case. Whilst Kyla was becoming attuned to her craft as a day job, the intensity of it left her unwell. She explains how 14-hour days full of “repetitive folding” left her with pain in her back and arms and as well as breathing problems caused by paint inhalation. Kyla admits “I realised I had treated my body like a machine and that if I wanted to continue with the business without damaging myself permanently then I had to make some drastic changes”. She later found the issue to be common among creatives, so she made a conscious effort to introduce healthy eating, regular gym sessions and acupuncture to her lifestyle. The craftswoman has since begun to heal and has become happier and healthier since deciding that “work is really insignificant in the grand scheme of things”. Her biggest challenge has been mastering the guilt associated with turning down work when her work load is too heavy, which can be a challenge for someone who is passionate about their job. Kyla also prefers to take on projects lasting no more than 2-3 weeks, so she doesn’t become bored or overworked.

Kyla’s nickname; the “Queen of Origami” and her involvement with top brands such as Elle and Burberry have meant her reputation as a Creative Director and Designer precede her. Her awe-inspiring work is boundless, as is her appreciation for the craft. She iterates “It is an art that has evolved so much over time and yet there are still an infinite number of geometric shapes for people to explore.”

When Kyla returns from her break she will begin work on a creative design for Shanghai’s new Ted Baker store. The budding origami star looks set for a bright future – the sky is the limit and no fold is too small!