Only for your thoughts

Folded paper cranes have a powerful message of hope. Whether or not you know the Japanese history and traditions of the 1000 paper cranes, my hope is that the installation can stimulate your thoughts. The work itself consists of 1392 origami cranes - hand-printed and folded.

An ancient Japanese legend

An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.

The cranes are often assembled as 25 strings of 40 cranes each, known as a Senbazuru.

A thousand paper cranes are traditionally given as a wedding gift with wishes of a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple. They can also be given to a new baby for long life and good luck. Hanging a Senbazuru in one's home is thought to be a powerful lucky and benevolent charm.

Sadako Sasaki

The thousand origami cranes have become a symbol of world peace through the story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima. Ten years later she developed leukemia caused by the radiation from the bomb. She spent her time in a nursing home creating origami cranes in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese saying that one who created a thousand origami cranes would then be granted a wish. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died shortly after. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako.

Her schoolmates and friends became the driving force for funds for a memorial to Sadako and all the children who died as a consequence of the atomic bomb. The Children's Peace Monument is in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and features a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami crane.

Children and adults continue to fold paper cranes in memory of Sadako and in hope of peace in the world.

Only for your thoughts

When I started this installation, I had personal reasons for working with a project which could remind me of hope in daily life. Someone very dear to me developed cancer and the project became extremely personal for me. The project developed into much more than for myself alone. I wanted to continue with the wonderful message conveyed by the legend of the 1000 cranes. My aim was to make a work of art that invites relaxation or reflection, and which is also beautiful to look at.

The Japanese legend and the story of Sadako are the source of inspiration, but I chose to do it my own way, and the installation ended with 1392 cranes. All the cranes have a pattern which is printed by hand before the paper is folded and mounted. The installation covers 4.5m x 2.5m. The paper is Japanese Shoji paper, the printing ink is AKUA intaglio. Both are of artist quality. The cranes are hung under 6 mm plexiglass plates suspended from the ceiling. The four sections are connected together during mounting.

'Only for your thoughts' has travelled and been exhibited in several places. It was purchased by Dark Architects in Oslo and hangs in the reception area of their offices in Skøyen.

Only for tour thoughts have been shown here:

2010 Galleri Blakstad, Asker

2010 Galleri Haraldsen, Oslo

2010 Hole Artcenter, Hole

2011 Galleri BOA, Oslo

2011 Hole Artcenter, Hole

2012 Galleri Pakkhuset, Arendal

2012 Dark Arkitekter, Oslo - purchased the installation