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From the ashes arise origami koi

Robert Lang, a physicist who became a leading figure in the world of origami, lost a lifetime's work of folded paper art to the 2025 wildfires in Altadena, Calif. He then set out to recreate his designs – and the origami community joined in.

Robert Lang, a 65-year-old origami artist, is widely recognized as one of the masters of the art, responsible for over 800 designs. While origami originated in Japan centuries ago, Lang spearheaded its resurgence in the 1990s. His innovative approach combines math and art to create seemingly impossible creations, achieving magic through his work.

Despite his success, Lang lost everything in the Eaton Fires that hit Altadena, California, in the beginning of 2025, including his home, studio, and hundreds of intricate paper creations, such as his prized origami koi. These koi, crafted by Richard Alexander and Michael LaFosse of Origamido Studios, had just returned from a successful exhibition in Denmark.

However, the Origamido Studios stepped in and helped Lang by creating new paper using ashes from his studio, allowing him to fold a new wall of koi, marking the beginning of his life rebuilding, one crease at a time.

Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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