(C) - Charrua, João (Portugal) - Mask

Work on Paper

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Museo del Origami

Name/Title

(C) - Charrua, João (Portugal) - Mask

Description

João Charrua’s boundless imagination comes through in this surrealist work. His masks and objects defy categorisation, giving the artist a unique place of his own. Once you’ve seen his style, it’s unmistakable. Used to playing with double meanings, this mask has the charm of a tube that isn’t the core of a toilet paper roll (though it could be). Made from folded paper and finished with shellac to add strength and durability.

Artwork Details

Medium

Paper

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Charrua, João

Role

Designer and folder

Date made

2019

Notes

About the artist: João Charrua is a Portuguese origami artist known for creating surreal and imaginative paper sculptures from a single sheet. For him, origami is both a way of thinking and a way of life—a blend of intuition, logic, and imagination. He began folding as a shared pastime with his daughter, and soon became captivated by the level of detail the medium could achieve. Charrua often crafts expressive human faces, describing masks as mysterious portals to the imagination. His work is driven not by recognizable forms but by fleeting thoughts, emotions, and a deep fascination with the creative potential hidden in a simple fold.