The Art of Unfolding

Imagine you open a book and a tiger jumps towards you. If three-dimensional objects are formed in front of the viewer’s eyes, that previously fitted flat between two book covers, one speaks of a pop-up.
The development of these folding objects is my passion. Since my videos have received millions of hits on the internet, I get requests from companies from all over the world.

What inspires me to this day, is the enormous range of my projects. I design prototypes for pop-up cards in all imaginable sizes and for various purposes. Many of my designs are produced in large editions, but I create also exclusive individual pieces. So I designed, for example, for a trade show a gigantic folding backdrop which was more than ten meters wide and five meters high – probably the biggest pop-up card in the world.

Designer, born in 1967

Qualification

designer, paper artist, specialist for pop-up-cards and paper-engineering, developer of pop-up cards and foldable artworks made from paper and cardboard

professional life

Since March 2008
Resumption of freelance work. Focus: pop-up cards, paper engineering, paper design

2002–2007
employed as graphic designer and leader of the advertising department at Heyda-Werk, Hagen. Solely responsible for the conception, design and implementation of all publications, paper products, packaging and corporate design

1994–2002
Freelance graphic designer, projects for the following customers (excerpt):

• Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung BZgA
• Deutscher Bundesjugendring DBJR
• Deutsche Verkehrswacht
• Westfalenhallen Dortmund
• BITS-Hochschule, Iserlohn
• Dortmund-Project
• Stadt Dortmund
• Heyda-Werk, Hagen

1988–1993
Academic studies of “Visual Communication” at the University of Applied Sciences in Dortmund. During his studies he worked in various advertising agencies. Graduation with the academic degree Diplom-Designer (FH). (This corresponds roughly to today’s Master of Arts).

voluntary service

03/2015 –12/2020
Member of the advisory board of  Highcon Systems, Israel

Awards

2023    Nominee for a VES Award (Award of The Visual Effects Society) in the category “Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project”

2014  „Kultur- und Kreativpilot Deutschland 2014“
Award of the Ministry of Culture and the Media, the Ministry of Economy and Energy, as well as the Initiative Culture and Creative Industries of the Federal Government of Germany

participation in Exhibitions

11/2023 “Salon du livre animé“
Mairie du 9e, 6 rue Drouot, Paris, France

01/2023 – 02/2023 “Ein Blick in Dortmunder Kunst 2023“
Superraum, Brückstraße 64, 44135 Dortmund

01/2021 – 02/2021 “Einblicke – Städtischer Kunstankauf 2020”
Online presentation on the website of  “Torhaus Rombergpark, Städtische Galerie Dortmund”

10/2020 – 06/2021 “Origami Universe: Pop-up Wonders”
Chimei Museum, Tainan City 71755, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

12/2019 – 01/2020 “Einblicke – Städtischer Kunstankauf 2019”
Torhaus Rombergpark, Städtische Galerie Dortmund

02/2019 – 03/2019   “Entfaltung” (Unfolding) – dual exhibition
paper sculptures by Peter Dahmen,
steel sculptures by Sebastian Wien
Baukunstarchiv NRW
, Ostwall 7, 44137 Dortmund

10/2018  “Pop-Up-Skulpturen”
“Sehfest Hörde – Tag der offenen Ateliers”
Turbo Prop Theater, Burgunderstraße 4, 44263 Dortmund

02/2018 – 03/2018 “Das Blauhaus”
Zwischenraum Ateliers, Markt 5, 58239 Schwerte

01/2018 – 02/2018 “Einblicke – Städtischer Kunstankauf 2017”
Torhaus Rombergpark, Städtische Galerie Dortmund

02/2014 – 03/2014 “Pop-Up! – Bücher in Bewegung”
Papiermuseum Bergisch Gladbach

07/2014 – 08/2014  “World Pop Up Art”
315 Art Center, Changwon, Korea

03/2013 – 05/2013 “World Pop Up Art”
Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Art Center IDA, Seoul, Korea

11/2012 – 01/2013 “Pop-Up-Karten – Wunderwelt aus Papier”
Zwischenraum Ateliers, Markt 5, 58239 Schwerte

10/2011 “Pop-Up-Skulpturen”
“Sehfest Hörde – Tag der offenen Ateliers”
Niederhofener Straße 4, 44263 Dortmund

BOOKS / EXHIBITION CATALOGS / MENTIONS IN BOOKS

2024     Peter Dahmen – Pop Up Sculptures – Coming soon!
Further information can be found here.
publisher: Poposition Press

2022     Helen Hiebert – The Art of Papercraft
pages 170 – 173 and 286
ISBN: 978-1-63586-265-2
publisher: Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247, USA

2018     A to Z: Marvels in Paper Engineering
Letter “C“
ISBN: 978-0-692-09894-3
publisher: The Movable Book Society, USA

2018     Neil Holt, Nicola von Velsen – Paper: Material, Medium, Magic
pages 218 and 219
ISBN: 978-3791383064
publisher: Prestel Verlag, München · London · New York, in der Verlagsgruppe Random House GmbH, Neumarkter Straße 28, 81673 München

2017     FH Aachen – Boxhorn #33
pages D – PD and image section page 37
ISSN: 1864 – 2535
publisher: FH Aachen | FB 04 Boxhorn Magazin, Boxgraben 100, 52064 Aachen

2014     Helen Hiebert – Playing with Pop-Ups
Title page, pages 88 and 201
ISBN: 978-1-59253-908-6
publisher: Quarry Books, a member of Quayside Publishing Group, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 406-L, Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101, USA

2013     Paradise of Paper Art
pages 401 – 404
ISBN: 978-988-16075-4-6
publisher: Designerbooks, A508/509, Tianhai Commercial plaza, 107#, North Street, Dongsi, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China

2013     exhibition cataloge ”World Pop Up Art“
pages 112 – 117
ISBN: 978-89-966313-4-7
Herausgeber: Art center IDA, 125-4 Yangjai dong Seocho-gu, 137-891 Rep. of Korea

2012     Jean-Charles Trebbi – L‘art du pop-up
page 106
ISBN: 978-286227-713-4
publisher: Éditions Alternatives, 33 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts, Paris VIe, France

2011     Papercraft 2 – Design and Art with paper
page 120
ISBN: 978-3-89955-333-8
publisher: Die Gestalten Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Mariannenstr. 9-10, D-10999 Berlin, Germany

Lectures, Presentations and Keynotes

You are welcome to book me as a speaker for your event. The following list shows a short excerpt of my recent presentations:

6/2024   “Pop-Up! – Spezialisierung als Schlüssel zum Erfolg“
Event: SQUEEK!
hosted by: Münster School of Design, Münster, Germany

6/2024   “Pop-Up! – Behind the Scenes“
Event: SQUEEK!
hosted by: Münster School of Design, Münster, Germany

4/2024     “Pop-Up! Unveiling 3D worlds from Paper“
Event: Workshop “Space, Scale, and Scaling in Art”,
hosted by: The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI), Cambridge, Great Britain

1/2024     “Pop-Up! Unveiling 3D worlds from Paper“
Event: Lecture programme “dESIGN12+“
hosted by: University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Dortmund, Deutschland

09/2023     Keynote: “Wendell and Wild – Behind the Scenes Look“
Event: 2023 Movable Book Society Conference
hosted by: The Movable Book Society, Cleveland, Ohio, USA