OrigamiintheGarden | April 17 to October 10 2021 at the Missouri Botanical Garden

This spring, the Missouri Botanical Garden will be filled with the monumental works of Jennifer and Kevin Box and their collaboration of origami artists.

The exhibition elevates the ancient art of origami to new heights, using the technique of lost-wax casting and fabrication. Each piece glorifies the precision of origami in stately museum-quality metals using an innovative 35+ step process that took nine years to perfect.

The exhibition of 18 awe-inspiring large-scale sculptures features flying birds, painted ponies, emerging butterflies, floating boats, a majestic tower that creates the illusion of 1,000 stainless steel origami peace cranes hovering above the water, and more.

By experimenting directly with paper and wax and working in a lost wax foundry for several years, I developed a process specifically for paper that captures all of its intimate details.

The technique took me two years of tireless experimentation in Austin, Texas to develop and seven years of further development with a foundry in Thailand to perfect.

In the beginning, I had to do every exhausting step of the process myself. Today, I still begin every piece with a blank page and manage it through the 35-step, 12+ week process of casting with the help of fine art foundry and fabrication teams. Pieces are cast in bronze, aluminum or stainless steel depending on the design requirements."

– Kevin Box

Jennifer and Kevin Box created OrigamiintheGarden in 2013. The first exhibition opened at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden in 2014, and the exhibition has been inspiring Botanical Gardens throughout the United States ever since.

Kevin Box graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and now resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. From the beginning of Box’s career, he received recognition from other artists and collectors alike with his unique and refreshing style. In 2004 he was elected as the youngest member of the National Sculptors Guild and was recognized by Southwest Art Magazine as one of the top 21 artists under 31 in the Southwest. Over the years he has perfected his unique approach and applied it to complex design collaborations with world-renowned origami masters.

Jennifer Box received her Bachelor and Masters Degree from New York University in Dance Education and Nonprofit Administration. During her years as a dancer in New York City she performed, choreographed, and created her own costuming. In 2006, Kevin and Jennifer began working together; their first collaboration was “Isadora’s Dress” inspired by Jennifer's passion for dance.

a monumental outdoor sculpture exhibition

Missouri Botanical Garden

|

April 17–October 10

The daytime exhibit is included in admission and free for Members.

Parking is always free.

about the exhibit

OrigamiintheGarden captures the delicate nature of paper in metal.

daytime admission

General

$14

Member

Free

ZMD

$6

Thursdays and Fridays | June–August

testimonials

Joe C.

D. Lanning

Kay W.

OrigamiintheGarden will grace the landscapes of the Garden with over 18 playful yet elegant pieces, making it the must-see exhibit in St. Louis.

photo contest

Learn More >

digital guide and map

sponsored by

DDI Media

International Paper

Missouri Life Magazine

Williams Patent Crusher & Pulverizer Co., Inc.

UMB Bank

the process

"While most of my peers were sculpting in clay and casting it into dark, heavy metal objects, I was inspired to do something different.

about the artists

Jennifer and Kevin Box

Robert J. Lang

Te Jui Fu

Michael G. La Fosse

Beth Johnson

How to fold an origami water lily

Download instructions >

Thank you!