( CNN ) -- When origami enthusiast Uyen Nguyen discusses her art , you quickly understand that it is about a lot more than folding paper . `` In many ways it has been therapeutic , '' she says . `` I find the process of folding paper to be almost meditative . `` Origami can be used to create incredibly realistic forms , not just to the likeness of say , an insect , but down to the exact species of that particular insect with proportions of its body segment true to real life . At the other end of the spectrum , you can mold paper to create the most abstract of forms beautiful because of their inherent structure instead of their likeness to real life forms . As someone interested in both science and art , I love that origami bridges the two . '' Worldwide movement . Now Nguyen is bringing her passion to the people of New York City . For the exhibition Surface to Structure : Folded Forms , which will take place at New York 's Cooper Union from June 19 to July 4 , Nguyen has gathered more than 130 works from 88 artists around the world . The exhibition includes adorable rabbits folded by Malaysian origamist Ng Boon Choon , and a realistic rendering of a field mouse by American Bernie Peyton . But it also includes `` St. Michael -- The Archangel '' , a more ominous work by Vietnamese origamist Tran Trung Hieu . It shows a winged angel carrying a sword . The exhibition marks the 55th anniversary of the 1959 exhibition Plane Geometry and Fancy Figures -- the first origami exhibition held in the United States , which also took place inside Cooper Union . So far Nguyen has raised more than $ 24,000 of the $ 32,000 she needs to cover the cost of shipping the works , organizing security and building display cases . Collectively the works demonstrate how origami artists are pushing the boundaries of technique and style . Transcending language barriers . In the 1950s , Japanese organist Akira Yoshizawa helped popularize the art by creating a universal system of diagramming , which involved arrows and illustrations rather than words . His book allowed people across the world to learn the craft and to easily construct pre-existing designs . But today artists have moved beyond that , with many using software that helps them dream up and then fold their elaborate works . `` Most origami involves folding one sheet of paper into some final form , '' Nguyen says . `` Modular origami uses multiple sheets of paper , folded into identical units , and takes these units and interlocks them , without cuts or adhesive , to obtain a final form that is usually very angular and representative of geometric solids . A couple of my designs add embellishments onto the surfaces of these polyhedra . '' Regional variations in the art are becoming smaller and smaller as more people learn about origami via the Internet . However , Nguyen says that she observed a few patterns among artists while curating her exhibition . Vietnamese artists tend to be masters of wet folding , which creates soft , gentle bends rather than sharp creases . `` Their styles can be somewhat minimalist , and there is so much beauty in their simplicity , '' she says . `` The Japanese tend to be more calculated and precise with their folding , which can allow for a huge amount of detail and complexity . I think the European style of origami lies somewhere between these two extremes . '' Read more : Origami -- a perfect blend of math and art . Read more : Amazing technicolor coats of Sydney Opera House . Read more : Intricate gems from Malaysia 's golden age of jewelry reveal cross road of cultures .
A new exhibition in New York showcases the art of origami . Those who practice the discipline say it bridges science and art . Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: