I chose Sonya Bird as my moniker to honor my husband and his family's contribution to my progression as an artist. Bird is my beloved mother-in-law's family name. When the origami crane came into my art it made a perfect fit.
I learned to fold origami cranes while living in Tokyo as an exchange student studying Japanese language and art history. At Christmas, we folded cranes for our tree. The symbolism of the crane and the colors and patterns of the yuzen paper captured my heart.
About fifteen years ago, my then nine-year-old son came home from school excited to show me the origami crane he had learned to fold. He told me about the story of Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, and we talked about how the story's theme of hope and transcendence is encapsulated in the origami crane.
Build your nest with love.
Feather your nest with art.
That afternoon, we dug out some of my treasured Japanese papers and folded crane after crane. I began imagining the cranes in ornaments and mobiles.
Folding cranes gently reminds me to choose peace as my goal. Sharing my love of Japanese paper and working with the origami artists of the Bird Studio to bring my ideas to life is a true pleasure.
-Sonya Nicholson
Who is Sonya Bird?