Creator
Laura Kruskal
NJ
United States
About Laura
Laura Kruskal (1923-2019) was a renowned and beloved artist and teacher of origami. She was a sparkling personality who drew people to her and impressed them with her unique charm. In addition to designing models, she wrote and sang origami songs, like the “International Origami Anthem” and performed origami raps as she taught her original models, whether to students in schools, libraries, and prison or to origami enthusiasts at conventions around the world.
Laura received her undergraduate degree with a biology major and a chemistry minor from Hunter College and her master’s degree from New York University. She was introduced to origami by her mother-in-law, Lillian Oppenheimer, who introduced origami to the United States. It also was through Lillian that Laura was introduced to her husband of 56 years, Martin David Kruskal.
Laura literally thought outside of the box, as she created origami models which could be folded from a rectangle rather than from the traditional square. She developed this technique as she traveled the world, often to exotic destinations, with Martin David, a world-famous mathematician and physicist. It wasn’t always easy to find origami paper, but letter-sized computer paper was plentiful, and her creations worked equally well with pages from magazines, which made them very accessible. Laura taught her original origami models for years in the Princeton area and around the world, not only at origami conventions, libraries, and schools, but also in prisons, restaurants, on buses, and anywhere people were intrigued by her and her art.
Excerpted from the obituary written by Karen Kruskal, Laura’s daughter.
Laura received her undergraduate degree with a biology major and a chemistry minor from Hunter College and her master’s degree from New York University. She was introduced to origami by her mother-in-law, Lillian Oppenheimer, who introduced origami to the United States. It also was through Lillian that Laura was introduced to her husband of 56 years, Martin David Kruskal.
Laura literally thought outside of the box, as she created origami models which could be folded from a rectangle rather than from the traditional square. She developed this technique as she traveled the world, often to exotic destinations, with Martin David, a world-famous mathematician and physicist. It wasn’t always easy to find origami paper, but letter-sized computer paper was plentiful, and her creations worked equally well with pages from magazines, which made them very accessible. Laura taught her original origami models for years in the Princeton area and around the world, not only at origami conventions, libraries, and schools, but also in prisons, restaurants, on buses, and anywhere people were intrigued by her and her art.
Excerpted from the obituary written by Karen Kruskal, Laura’s daughter.
