Shivaram Narayanan is a prodigy in " Origami ", the fascinating Japanese Art of Paper-folding. He is completely self-taught and has had no formal training.
He has held a number of solo exhibitions at prestigious Art Centres across the country viz: Lalit Kala Akademi New Delhi & Chennai; Nehru Center, Mumbai; Chitrakala Parishath, Banglore; Kala Academy, Goa.
His first solo exhibition was at the age of nine years involving 300 complex models.
He was the only participant from India to attend two International Origami Conventions held at Fashion Institute of Technology New York, USA.
He has won laurels at the National and International arena.
Shivaram's original models were selected from worldwide entries for 'Origami by Children' for the past 5 consecutive years and displayed at various centres in USA.
At the age of 11, he was awarded the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Field of Origami, instituted by the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, which was formally conferred on him by the First Lady at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on 8th June 2001.
He has held a number of workshops and demonstrations across the country. He has conducted a workshop called The Peace of Paper at Nehru Center, Mumbai and Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore during the year 2000 -The international year for Peace. He has also held workshops for institutions such as National Institute of Fashion Technology at Chennai; The Japan Foundation, New Delhi; Consulate General of Japan at Mumbai; The Animal Welfare Board of India; The Science Centre, Panaji; SHAR Space Centre, Sriharikota; Bal Bhavan, Panaji; The Spastics Society, Chennai; as well as for various schools, and citizens groups.
At the age of 16 yrs he has published his first book titled- “FOLD IN FOLD OUT- Origami Originals”. This book has been released at various bookstores at Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore and has evoked an excellent response. He has also had the honour of presenting his book to His Excellency, The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, during his visit to Goa on 18th October 2005.
He has been acclaimed for his expertise and passion for this art and has been featured extensively as a child prodigy in the visual and print media. He has been featured in, STAR T.V. Network and ZEE T.V. and Regional T.V. Channels as a child prodigy.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that he has single handedly made a significant contribution in exposing this unique art to audiences all over India.
In recognition of his efforts in teaching and spreading the joy of Origami in India, he was awarded a 'Certificate of Recognition' by 'Origami USA' in July 2003.
