About Us
Why We Fold Circles
Folding a circle is an opportunity to think in a different way—to see what cannot be seen, and to do something unfamiliar. A circle is usually perceived as a two-dimensional shape; removed from the flat plane, the circle transforms to a three-dimensional form. Folding a circle reveals dynamic triangular grids and symmetries that mirror structures, forms and systems found in the natural world. There is much beauty and truth of relationships to be found in the circle.
From his first fold in the circle, Bradford Hansen-Smith discovered that everything he had learned about geometry and math could be revealed through this simple act of folding, reforming, and joining circles. He refers to this practice as Wholemovement™—a direct, embodied way to explore and understand pattern and proportion through moving the circle in relation to itself.
The roots of circle folding reach back to Friedrich Fröbel, the German educator who created kindergarten in the mid-1800s. Beginning from a center point, Fröbel folded the circle into three diameters. A century later, Buckminster Fuller, an American inventor and philosopher, expanded on Fröbel’s work by proportionally folding three diameters in four individual circles and joining them to form a spherical Vector Equilibrium.
Who We Are
We are a father-daughter partnership exploring the beauty and complexity of relationships and patterns that shape the natural world and the human experience. Our individual skills and perspectives inform our collaboration and our shared commitment to bring the transformative potential of folding circles into practice.
As both artists and educators, we’ve seen firsthand how working with circles opens new ways of learning and insight—on an experiential level—for teachers, students, families, community organizations and individuals alike.
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