Broadening the creative scope of traditional paper folding art This is a practice-based research project that explores the balance between imitation and creativity through using the medium of paper folding. I argue that imitation is a learning process and stimulus for creativity to emerge in contemporary art and design practice. The approach involves imitating the traditional paper folding guidelines and then reconstructing new subject identities with the emerging creative ideas. The aim of this project is to break the tradition of the limitations of paper folding, through inheriting art experience and creative strategies from classical Chinese philosophical approaches with a focus on ink painting aesthetics. The outcome of this research project is a series of art works as exploration into the fusion of imitation and creativity in the medium of paper folding, based on a fusion of Western and Chinese approaches of art making. This project is constituted of 80% practice-based work, accompanied by 20% exegesis as a complement.