Sipho Mabona’s Swarming Origami Locusts Are Made of Money!

A <a href="http://inhabitat.com/edouard-martinets-delicate-metal-animal-sculptures-are-made-from-old-bike-parts/" target="_blank">swarm of locusts</a> has hit the <a href="http://www.janm.org" target="_blank">Japanese American National Museum</a> in Los Angeles - but these are no ordinary insects. Made entirely of dollar bills, the folded bugs are the latest installation by origami artist <a href="http://www.mabonaorigami.com" target="_blank">Sipho Mabona</a>. The flying money-locusts will be on display as part of the exhibition “Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami,” which runs until August 26th of this year.

Mabona’s intricate origami evolved from his obsession with folding paper airplanes as a child. For the Japanese American National Museum show, the artist chose to tackle the issue of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rachel-denny-crafts-cruelty-free-animal-heads-from-recycled-sweaters-and-pennies/" target="_blank">money</a> as the duality of its symbolization of both ambition and damnation, the cause of joy and of pain.

Comparing the world’s crumbling economy to the Biblical legend of the locust swarm, Mabona created a sea of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/irish-artist-builds-the-worlds-first-1-4-billion-euro-home-from-shredded-bills/" target="_blank">dollar bill</a> locusts, caught in flight across one room of the exhibition.

Each of the locusts was made from meticulously folding uncut <a href="http://inhabitat.com/worlds-most-expensive-broom-made-from-hundreds-of-shredded-dollar-bills/" target="_blank">dollar bills</a>. Without scissors, glue or adhesive, Mabona fashioned the rectangular specimens into detailed insects, complete with spanning wings, extended legs and antennae.

The face of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/mark-wagners-dollar-bill-collages-poke-fun-at-money-feature-george-washington/" target="_blank">Founding Father George Washington</a> is emblazoned on the locusts’ wings, as well as on each head. The swarm rises, and seems to fold itself from a row of flat currency lining the floor.

Mabona created a gradation, showing his folding steps from dollar bill to insect. As they take shape, they are then hung on plastic fishing line, as if to take flight and head into the fury of the swarm.

Mabona’s other <a href="http://inhabitat.com/peter-gentenaars-stunning-paper-sculptures-soar-through-the-air-like-flying-jellyfish/" target="_blank">origami sculptures</a> range from animals to abstracts to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/british-design-group-lazerian-unveils-celestial-luminaires-made-from-folded-paper/" target="_blank">functional lamps</a>. The artist also exhibits his incredible vectorgraphics, so that others may see the intricacy that goes into folding his origami sculptures.