Foldable Star Sculptures

Designer + mathematician John M. Kostick began creating his patented foldable star sculptures a few years after he attended a physics lecture in 1962 about a concept the lecturer referred to as “tensegrity”––an architectural principle that relies on compression and tension to give a structure three dimensional form.

By 1968, John’s process of producing these stars in varying size and complexity was fully developed, and that process of production is largely the same that is used today. He was inspired that one could build mathematically elegant objects with structural integrity using simple tools and basic techniques, and in 1970 he received a patent for the stars, which became a designer’s muse throughout the 1970s. Shortly after meeting his wife in 1993 at a Harvard geometry lecture, John + Jane created their own business, KO Sticks, where they continue to make the star sculpture in their home studio.

• 4” - Tetraxis Star: Diameter 4" Weight 1.2 oz. Material - Bronze

• 7” - Tetraxis Star: Diameter 7" Weight 2.7 oz. Material - Bronze

• 9” - 9" Six-Axis Star: Diameter 9" Weight 4 oz. Material - Bronze

• 14” - 14" Six-Axis Star: Diameter 14" Weight 14.5 oz. Material - Bronze