Contrary to popular belief, origami as we know it did not originate in Japan, says Richard Alexander, co-owner of Origamido Studio in the International Market Place. It was, instead, a German man named Friedrich Froebel who introduced the concept of folding one piece of paper with no cutting or pasting. Froebel designed a kindergarten program in the 1890s with paper folding as part of the curriculum.

“;The emphasis of Japanese paper arts was ceremonial and for entertainment. There was a cross-pollination when the German program hit the rich tradition of paper crafts in Japan,”; he says.

It was a Japanese man, Akira Yoshizawa, who inspired global interest and elevated the craft to high art.

Today, French artist Eric Joiel designs intricate, expressive sculptures of human forms and other subjects from one piece of paper. “;It's most important to breathe life into the paper,”; he says in the captivating documentary “;Between the Folds,”; showing at Origamido.

Then there's Chris Palmer, who, in the film, pleats a large piece of paper for hours until he comes up with a work that transforms as it's unfolded. Another master, Eric Demaine, is an “;origami theorist.”; The 20-year-old professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology uses origami concepts in computer programs to study the way proteins fold in living things. Incorrectly folded proteins cause illness, and Demaine is hoping to find answers for medical science. Mathematician Robert Lang developed a folded lens that fits into a rocket and unfurls in space. He employed origami principles.

The work of some of these artists, and others, are on display in Origamido as part of an exhibit titled “;Origami Do Experience.”;

Michael LaFosse, Alexander's partner at Origamido, is also featured in the film because he's the only origami master who makes his own paper. LaFosse began making paper to address the needs of his own origami designs and now supplies archival sheets to masters worldwide.

Like his peers, LaFosse creates works that are breathtaking and mind-boggling, incorporating thousands of folds with smooth curves that lend the pieces a graceful quality. One of LaFosse's signature pieces is an alligator he designed for the Palm Beach County Cultural Commission, made from one 6-by-6-foot piece of dark green handmade paper. With folds divided into 128ths diagonally across the sheet, the work took dozens of hours to complete.

“;You spend 50 or 60 hours on folding a piece, and you don't want it to disintegrate,”; Alexander says, explaining the relevance of Origamido's archival paper.

Incidentally, the alligator, named Clem, became a beloved presence in the partners' previous Boston gallery. After Clem was shipped to Florida, regular visitors lamented. LaFosse responded by folding Snap, Clem's brother, who's now on display at the Waikiki gallery.

LaFosse's folding style reflects the influence of Yoshizawa, who became his friend after LaFosse studied under the elder master. Years earlier, as a teen, LaFosse had read about Yoshizawa in a Reader's Digest, and that article inspired LaFosse to make origami his life's work.

“;I firmly believe art begets art, and I believe I studied with him my whole life, just by looking at his (work),”; he says.

Like Yoshizawa, LaFosse employs “;wet folding,”; in which the paper is sprayed lightly with clean water. This allows the paper “;to keep its integrity”; and become flexible, allowing for curves in the folds and folds that hold.

LaFosse says he was also taught to fold in the air, off the table. “;Yoshizawa always told me, 'You don't dance with your back to the wall, do you? If you want your folding to be lyrical, fold off the table.'”;

But beautiful folding is just a part of being an origami master. The title is rooted in creating new pieces, and for LaFosse, designing an origami work isn't simply about arriving at the end shape.

“;It's about cleverly creating an ordered sequence that leads from one fold to the next,”; he says. “;It's like words in a sentence that lead to the final idea in logical terms. Lyrical ... pieces that bring the paper to life allow you to see the artist's touch, like the brush strokes in a painting.”;