Taro’s Origami Studio at OUSA 2026

From July 23–26, 2026, origami artists, folders, teachers, and enthusiasts from around the world gathered in New York City for the OrigamiUSA (OUSA) Convention—and Taro’s Origami Studio, headlined by Taro Yaguchi himself, were excited to be part of it.

For our team, the convention was a wonderful opportunity to teach, share, shop, reconnect with friends, and celebrate just how broad and creative the world of origami has become.

****

Frank Ling Teaches the NYC Cab

One of the highlights for Taro’s Origami Studio was having Senior Artist and Designer Frank Ling teach his iconic New York City Taxi Cab model.

It was a particularly fitting model for a convention in New York, as Frank’s cab captures one of the city’s most recognizable symbols in paper.

Students had the opportunity to learn directly from Frank, working through the folds and techniques that transform a single sheet of paper into a recognizable NYC cab. Watching a room full of folders tackle the same model—each one bringing their own precision and personality to the finished piece—is one of the things that makes origami conventions so special.

****

****

A Paper Lover’s Paradise

Of course, no OUSA convention would be complete without the paper!

Taro’s Origami Studio brought a selection of beautiful origami papers and specialty papers for folders to explore.  Specifically we brought a wide selection of Tant papers in nearly every color available.  One of our favorite parts of attending conventions is seeing how excited people get when they discover a particular sheet that is just right for a model they’ve been planning to fold.

From colorful papers to specialty textures and patterns, there was plenty to browse, and our table became a place for folders to stop, talk about paper, compare ideas, and stock up for their next projects.

For experienced folders, the right paper can completely transform a model. For newer folders, discovering the incredible variety of papers available can be an introduction to an entirely new side of origami.

****

Our Students Become Teachers

Another especially rewarding part of the convention was seeing some of Taro’s Origami Studio students teaching classes of their own.

One of the things we love most about origami is how naturally knowledge gets passed from one folder to another. Someone learns a model, practices it, develops their skills, and eventually finds themselves teaching someone else.

Seeing our students step into the role of teacher at OUSA was a wonderful reminder of that cycle. They weren’t simply attending the convention—they were contributing to it and sharing their own knowledge with the larger origami community.

For Taro’s, that’s one of the most meaningful measures of success: helping people develop enough confidence and enthusiasm that they eventually become teachers, designers, and ambassadors for origami themselves.

****

The Origami Galleries

One of the biggest highlights of any OUSA convention is seeing the incredible work on display throughout the convention’s origami gallery.

The gallery offered a chance to see models from a huge range of folders and designers, showcasing just how diverse origami has become. There were highly complex representational models, beautiful geometric designs, clever constructions, and pieces that pushed the boundaries of what many visitors thought was possible with paper.  Some of the highlights included work on display from Boice Wong, Phillip Chapman-Bell, Evan Zodl, Brain Chan, and Satoshi Kamiya to name a few.

For artists, these galleries are a source of inspiration. Seeing the work of other designers sparks new ideas, techniques, and possibilities. For folders, it is an opportunity to study models up close and appreciate the design decisions and craftsmanship that photographs often can’t fully capture.

And for everyone involved, the galleries are a reminder that origami is much more than simply following a set of folding instructions. It is a form of design, engineering, sculpture, mathematics, and art—all contained in a sheet of paper.

****

We were thrilled to be there and to share the experience with so many members of the origami community.

Thank you to OrigamiUSA, all of the convention organizers, teachers, artists, vendors, and folders who made OUSA 2026 such a memorable event.