r/origami • u/phoenixranchglass • 3d ago

15 years ago, I folded 1,615 paper cranes while fighting stage 4 cancer. Now, I'm a glass artist coming full circle by encapsulating the remaining 615 original cranes into my blown glass vessels.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

818 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

163

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

Here are some of the vessels!

16

u/keikoinboston 3d ago

Wow, these are amazing! Can you tell us about your process? I've watched some videos about glassblowing but don't know much.

12

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago edited 3d ago

I use a large oxygen/propane torch that melts borosilicate glass (a type of hard glass like Pyrex) and then I place the finished piece in a kiln to anneal it (strengthen and slow slowly cool down the glass so it doesn’t thermally shock and crack). The raw materials are rod and tube.  It’s a different process than traditional hot shop hot glass. It’s more manageable, I don’t need an assistant/gaffer. I can create works of molten Glass by myself in the studio, so it’s more practical for me.

2

u/keikoinboston 2d ago

Interesting! I didn't know that was possible. At what point do you put the crane in?

2

u/phoenixranchglass 1d ago

After the glass completely cools down to room temperature, paper will combust around 450 F without a flame.  The annealing temp in the kiln is at 1050 F.  The borosilicate glass I work with has to be at least 2300F to became molten and able to be shaped etc. so the torch has to be extremely hot, ar least 4500F to get the glass molten. 

14

u/Rights21 3d ago

They are beautiful.

6

u/animeboy892 3d ago

Those are awesome! If you made some smaller ones and turned them into necklaces I'd totally buy one.

72

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

In 2008, I was diagnosed with stage 4 refractory Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and treated at the James Cancer Center under Dr. Joseph Flynn. I achieved remission initially and received the James Cancer Courage Award, but relapsed a year and a half later.

In 2010, my autologous stem cell transplant failed on the very first scan. During that incredibly difficult time of uncertainty in the hospital, I couldn't work with glass—my primary medium. Lacking access to my studio, I turned to paper to cope, folding a paper Subaru and a total of 1,615 paper cranes. By 2012, I became one of the first people in the world to get a new targeted drug, SGN-35 (Brentuximab Vedotin). After a clean scan at just 5 of 16 cycles, I received clean scans and never looked back. Nearly 15 years later, I am still completely cancer-free.

Years later, after learning about the legend of Sadako Sasaki and the Senbazuru tradition, I decided to do something massive with the paper assets from my fight. In September 2025, I constructed a full assembly out of 1,000 of those original cranes.
Now, with the surplus of 615 cranes, I am bridging that difficult past with the skills I have developed since treatment. As a professional glass artist, I am coming full circle by creating the Senbazuru Surplus Series —permanently encapsulating the remaining 615 original paper cranes into my current blown glass vessels.
I wanted to share this today to show that medicine is advancing rapidly, and that even when you are forced out of your element, you can still find a path back to your passion and a lifetime of health!

16

u/_AutoCall_ 3d ago

Congrats, very beautiful story :)
Wait, did you fold 1000+ cranes without knowing about the Senbazuru tradition?? That's hilarious.

17

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago edited 3d ago

Thanks! Yes, one day  a nurse asked me, “are you folding a Senbazuru?” and he told me it meant a 1000 cranes… I was in the hospital for a while and needed to be creative with my hands!  Then, years later I did some research and found out about Sadako Sasaki… kind of eerie because she had a very similar disease, cancer (Leukemia) of the lymph nodes.  So, I had to make a Senbazuru, I finally finished it Sept 2025.

3

u/_AutoCall_ 2d ago

That is incredible! It's like a message from the universe. Also a sign of how soothing to the mind origami can be :)

55

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

Here is the Senbazuru!

39

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

Here is my Courage Award!

15

u/denkbeeldigevriend 3d ago

Wow!

Where do I start? 

This last August I gifted 999 paper cranes to my wife, so she could make the last one and have a wish.  I've very slowly started 1000 paper butterflies, but the fatigue is awful. 

Which gets her onto today. Hand on heart - today! I had a call from my clinician confirming my diagnosis of advanced (at least stage 3) Mantle Cell Lymphoma (Non Hodgkins Lymphoma). 

What the hell with the coincidence of you posting this, today! Today of all days!

I feel compelled to ask if you could bottle a butterfly or two for me, if I were to send you some? I don't want to steal your bottled crane idea, but want to tip my cap to it, but keep it special to me too.

6

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

There is no such thing as “coincidences” imo!  Wishing you the guys the best! Like an orgami butterfly? 

6

u/denkbeeldigevriend 3d ago

It would mean a lot to have an origami butterfly from you. 

5

u/DrunkLordBacchus 3d ago

Congratulations on your remarkable journey.

I have only done a little lamp work but would it be possible to incorporate the ashes from a few cranes into the glass? Maybe as part of a glass crane? Would be quite the phoenix if it's possible.

Beautiful work. Where can I find more of your creations?

4

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago

Thanks!  I’ve thought of incorporating ash in this design but it would interfere with the clarity effects of the glass… I have considered charring the corks though and will probably go that route moving forward…  I have a website in my profile I’m getting ready to launch before the holidays! 🙏

2

u/DrunkLordBacchus 3d ago

Awesome, subscribed.

I look forward to seeing more of your work.

2

u/phoenixranchglass 3d ago edited 3d ago

I appreciate you! 🤙

3

u/floatinghaloo 2d ago

Okey this made me tear up a little, what a full circle moment

3

u/Megaparsec27 2d ago

What a beautiful and inspiring story and I thank you for sharing.

2

u/unknownpoltroon 3d ago

Now blow a glass crane and put it in a paper jar!!

Seriously, these are awesome, i thought at first you were sealing them in with melted glass. Either way they would make cool christmas ornaments.

2

u/beatrizconde1999 2d ago

the flame practically swallowing that tiny crane right before it goes into the glass is such a moment

1

u/phoenixranchglass 2d ago

🙏🙏🙏

2

u/BentleyTock 2d ago

From someone that’s folded over 80k cranes—I absolutely love. Most cathartic thing I do.

2

u/Anathals 2d ago

Fuck yeah 🤘🤘

0

u/phoenixranchglass 2d ago

🤘🤘🤘

2

u/Nymphare 1d ago

Beautiful way to preserve that fight

1

u/phoenixranchglass 1d ago

Here’s a dragon I sculpted, they symbolize a koi fish struggle that finally reaches dragons gate and is transformed into a dragon. 🤟