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Palestinian artist brings Japanese origami to Gaza

In a small studio packed with sculptures made of scrap metal, Palestinian artist Ahmed Humaid has found a new medium in origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. It's an unlikely pursuit for an artist living in the Gaza Strip, which has been largely cut off from the outside world since Israel and Egypt imposed a crippling blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory more than a decade ago.

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Humaid would like to expand his business beyond Gaza's borders, but the blockade has cut off virtually all exports, and Israel and Egypt heavily restrict travel into and out of the territory. "I wish to visit the homeland of this art — Japan — so I can be closer to the people who creatively mastered it," he said.