Aesthetic

For my upcycled artifact project, I am drawing inspiration from my Aesthetic Exploration on Non-Euclidean Art, which challenges conventional rectangular geometry by distorting space into surreal, otherworldly perspectives. This exploration of warped and unconventional forms will be seamlessly integrated with Bee-core, a nature-inspired

 AI generated Honeycomb with Negative Curvature [1]
sub-aesthetic that celebrates bees, honey, and ecological preservation. By merging these two aesthetics, I aim to create a visually striking and conceptually rich piece that embodies both mathematical abstraction and environmental consci

ousness. Using only recycled and repurposed materials, I will construct a hyperbolically distorted beehive—symbolizing both the fragile beauty of pollinators and the urgent need for sustainable, regenerative practices in art and design.

                                                                                                                                     

Inspiration, Process, and Prototype

 Flexing Honeycomb Crease Pattern [2]
                              Prototype [3]
Drawing inspiration from the negative curvature of hyperbolic geometry and the natural efficiency of hexagonal tessellation—the iconic honeycomb pattern found in beehives, I plan to use a modified origami technique to transform recycled paper into an intricate, three-dimensional honeycomb structure.

 

Building upon a crease pattern developed by Herng Yi Cheng [2], I experimented with its structure, modifying key dimensions and reducing the angle of certain folds to enhance flexibility. These adjustments allowed for greater curvature and distortion, better aligning with the aesthetic I aimed to achieve. The result is a more adaptable prototype [3] that should conform to my design sketch.

                         Project Sketch [4]

Using Adobe Illustrator, I sketched a conceptual design featuring multiple interwoven, curved honeycombs, seamlessly blended to create a dynamic structure. The final piece will be crafted from black paper, providing a contrast to the hand-painted gold details, which I will highlight the intricate geometry and add an elegant interpretation of dripping honey playing on the Bee-core aesthetic.

Materials

For materials, I will be using large black craft paper that I inherited six years ago from my elder sister, who worked at a recycled craft materials store.

To create the gold details, I have sourced second-hand gold leaf and paint from Art Parts, reinforcing the theme of sustainability and reuse.

For the stand, I will repurpose the sturdy box my laptop came in.

I am looking forward to this project as an opportunity to use materials I have had for many years.

Citations

[1] PromeAI, “Blender AI Tool,” PromeAI, accessed January 28, 2025, https://www.promeai.pro/blender

[2] Herng Yi Cheng, “Flexing Honeycomb Origami Design,” Herng Yi Cheng Blog, 2023, https://www.herngyi.com/blog/flexing-honeycomb-origami-design.

[3] Sylvia Robles. Prototype (IMG). Created January 27, 2025

[4] Sylvia Robles. Project Sketch (PNG). Created January 25, 2025

[5] OpenAI, Grammar Assistant ChatGPT (January 29, 2025), https://chat.openai.com.

3 Comments. Leave new

  • Scott Ehrlich
    February 6, 2025 9:42 pm

    This looks super interesting! I like the fact that you are using your skills with origami and creating an organic, bee hive inspired piece of art. Could something like this act as a scaffolding for bees to build thier hive on to? Not sure how you could get them to use it, but it would be interesting. Anyway, I’m excited to see how this turns out!

  • Arden Villanueva
    February 3, 2025 6:59 pm

    This is a super cool project! I think origami is such a cool thing. I was wondering how you were going to display this? Is it gonna be hanging up or on your desk or something? I think anywhere would be cool but I was just wondering. I also think it could be cute if you added little origami bees to this maybe! If that’s not the vibe that’s okay too haha. Super excited to see how this turns out! Your prototype is already looking good.

    • Thank you! I have not decided yet what the best way to display it. I am thinking hanging it or putting it in some sort of frame. A hanging method would certainly be easier and help guarantee my cats don’t shred it to pieces.
      I absolutely agree about adding little origami bees! I will definitely try my best to incorporate them.

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