Mercer Island youth thrives in the origami realm
Published 5:10 pm Friday, July 24, 2026
Sameer Arora said it takes patience to become talented at origami and one has to always be open to grasping onto new ideas along the way.
It’s a challenging art and the Mercer Island teen likes how it connects with math and engineering.
“I enjoy having to figure it out as I go along, which is why designing models is fun. Making your own original ones as opposed to folding other people’s,” said Arora, age 14, who was drawn to the art and technique of paperfolding during an origami-related math lesson in about the third grade.
Arora followed up that eye-opening lesson by watching YouTube videos of simple models and he’s now a seasoned origami folder who was recently selected to serve as an OrigamiUSA junior board member.
Some of his recent origami creations have been 2026 FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics logos, the Seattle Mariners’ trident and more. Arora’s multi-piece projects can take a couple of days to make and single-sheet small items are finished in a few hours.
“I want to study engineering after I graduate high school, and I just love the connections and how you can take math concepts and then turn them into art through paper,” said the incoming Mercer Island High School freshman. “You have to be good at spatial reasoning. It helps if you can visualize what’s happening in your head before it happens.”
Over the years as his talent has grown, Arora has attended national origami conventions in New York, he’s been a member of international CFC Origami (Community for Creators), he joined the Puget Area Paperfolding Enthusiasts Roundtable, has taught classes at the Redmond Library and with the Pacific Ocean Paperfolders group and more.
“We grew up in India, and he’s done some origami online lessons for school kids back in India. It’s a big boost for him, and we feel very proud,” said his father, Vivek. “Origami has been a major passion for Sameer, and this (OrigamiUSA) role will give him a chance to help support youth engagement, creativity and outreach in the origami community.”
When he’s not in origami mode, Arora plays trumpet in the school band and the Seattle Youth Symphony, performs on the piano, enjoys badminton and is involved in scouting.
Now that he’s on the OrigamiUSA junior board, the Islander hopes to make the art more accessible to anyone who wants to give it a go.
“So it’s not only for people in this niche, but everyone can learn from it and experience how fun it is and maybe learn a few things,” he said.
