AGUSTIN THE ENTREPENEUR
When it comes to origami, seven-year-old Agustin Candusso is already a master of the ancient paper-folding art form.
The Year 2 student has become the youngest entrepreneur from Wagga Wagga, spending his spare time creating everything from giant cranes to tulips and selling them for profit.
This week, he’s set to show Australia what he can do on Little Big Shots.
‘I loved being on the show and making my origami on it,’ says Agustin. ‘I’m hoping to one day go to Japan, where they make lots of origami.’
Agustin began folding – mostly tissues – when he was two. Diagnosed with a sensory disorder that allows him to see the world a little differently, his beloved hobby is a relaxing outlet when times get tricky.
‘We’d go through many boxes – hundreds and hundreds of tissues,’ says Agustin’s mum Caroline. ‘He’d create little shapes and forms with them.
‘Then I picked up an origami book and some paper and suggested we try that. The very first thing Agustin made was a swan, and then tulips and lotuses. A friend put in an order for her father’s birthday. That was his very first commission, and we’ve since been doing origami together in a studio at our home.’
Agustin also sells his creations at local markets – and the mother-son duo can hardly satisfy demand!
‘I’ve had to learn to keep up with Agustin,’ says Caroline, before adding: ‘It’s been a really marvellous paper adventure for both of us.’