Inspired by the Summit: further explorations with washi

In June of last year the World Washi Summit brought together 150 artists, 40 galleries, 3 Japanese papermakers and offerings of workshops, demonstrations, and special events to draw attention to the quality and potential of washi, traditional Japanese paper.

The exhibition featured below included 25 artists who took part in last year's events in some way: by exhibiting work, attending sessions, or visiting multiple galleries, and who were inspired to engage with washi in new ways as a result.

Washi is not for every artist. Made by hand from renewable plant barks  (kozo, gampi and mitsumata) which are painstakingly stripped and cleaned, it isn't paper as we know it. An artist can't easily transfer his or her techniques from western paper to Japanese. But for some, with a particular openness to new materials and a desire to stretch their creative expression, it stirs them to new heights, and encourages them to produce new work that owes its success in large part to the very existence of washi.

Such is the work before you. "Inspired by the Summit" was an expression of our gratitude at The Japanese Paper Place: gratitude for those artists who persevere with a significant material that's not easy to know; gratitude for audiences like you who continue to show curiosity about its potential; and gratitude for the papermakers in Japan who continue to make this magnificent sustainable resource.

Heather Sauer
Waiting (2009)
shifu, knitted
matsuo kozo

Artist Statement:

I have always been inspired by the endless possibilities of Washi. After watching the artistry of Hiroko Karuno at the Washi Summit, that realm of possibility expanded and I was able to combine three of my loves, paper, fibre arts and all things small.

Ron Bolt
Waterscape

Doug Guildford
Salt Trap
silkscreen
various kozo papers

Artist Statement:

The Washi Summit reinforced my already strong desire and commitment to continue to work with the very best of handmade Japanese papers. I feel a poignancy and an urgency to work with the finest of washi, while the few remaining traditional paper makers continue to dedicate their efforts to producing this valuable crop.

Cybèle Young
I'm sure it will fit
sculpture
various dyed kozo and gampi

Artist Statement:

Having worked almost exclusively with washi for the past 14 years, I almost came to take its many virtues for granted. At the summit I heard to many sing its praises and demonstrate what it had helped them achieve over the years, that it helped me to rekindle my relationship with washi.

Washi has formed the connective root system of a species of artists with a shared sensibility but very unique individual expressions, inspiring one another to reach for the sky.

Jeannie Thib
from "The Construct Works"
papercut and collage
chiri kozo; somegami kozo

Artist Statement:

Last year's Washi Summit took me back to my roots in hand printing linocuts on large sheets of washi and the rich variety of papers and artworks has inspired me to experiment with using washi again in various ways.

Dominique Prevost
Vapour (2009)
watercolour
3 washi variations

Artist Statement:

The exquisite textures of these hand made papers and the way they hold the pigment fascinate me! The support becomes the medium. This sensual material remembers the many touches of its handlers. For a seemingly delicate material, it can withstand a tremendous amount of layering. By using more than one kind of washi in each painting, I can juxtapose chaos and harmony.

Will Rueter
Tout passe

Tammy Ratcliff
Maple Quilt Sampler
mixed media
various washi

Susan Fothergill
Papillons
silkscreen
kirigami blue (pawlonia) and various kozo

Artist Statement:

Washi is an integral part of the work I do. I consider it a marriage, a steady commitment made to these fine, endangered papers.

After being introduced to the wonder and magic...I have worked to understand everything I can, from fabriclike qualities to the amazing strength while appearing fragile and delicate. When I choose new papers, I feel as though in a sanctuary, and it is one of my favourite ways to spend a couple of hours.

Over many years I have noted the varied, subtle textures, sheens, sounds and colours, and have found an affinity in relation to the images I use. The papers are the perfect partners and I am never disappointed.

The Washi summit only deepened my desire to continue to use the papers that have given me a path to my own heart.

Mary Jane Varro
Untitled 1,2,3
mixed media
various washi

Artist Statement:

My conversation with washi continues to evolve.

Now I do more listening.

Less talking.

Lynne Munro
Iodize
iodine
oguni kozo

Lynne Munro
Present moment: present mind - 'sitting'
sumi ink, stainless steel and silk thread
nishinouchi natural

Artist Statement:

Listening and talking with the Japanese paper makers during the Washi Summit in 2008 changed the way I understand Japanese handmade paper. I have acquired a more sensitive communication with the paper and I find each sheet, even if its made at the same time, has its own innate qualities. I also learned there are infinite possibilities for exploring Japanese paper.

Candida Girling
City Living
intaglio
gampi etching

Artist Statement:

I have found gampi to be an engaging medium for drawing and etching. I am attracted to the luminous surface of the gampi etching paper as it contrasts with the incised line of the intaglio.

Kelly Cade
In Between
water-based pigment including fabric dye
yamagampi

Artist Statement:

This paper has such a unique life of its own. When working with it, I feel I am engaged in a dialogue; a spirited give and take of possibilities wherein the paper reveals as much about itself as I do.

Norah Deacon
She Felled Some Chairs

Sally Ayre
Field Shadows

Artist Statement:

Finally I found a paper with texture, translucency and malleability that would complement my imagery. I have discovered that there are so many ways of working with Washi to explore that it has created a whole new excitement for me in making my art.

Kai Chan
Floating (Image #1)

Sheila Jonah
Reflections
giclee print, Hasselblad X-Pan II camera
gampi torinoko

John Drajewicz
Gates of Obidos

Artist Statement:

What began with cotton rag papers has branched forward into the world of washi. Suddenly the photo artist is immersed into a wide world of subtle paper surfaces and colours. The texture of washi surfaces such as gampi torinoko can impart a subtle texture to a sympathetic image that comes alive when bathed in direct light. Tough yet thin, by times almost transparent, the paper provides a receptive surface for pigmented inks that transcend a mere supportive role and exerts a collaborative influence between the elements of the image and the many facets that washi has evolved over centuries of fine art evolution.

Tania Love
Morphogenesis

Artist Statement:

I have always loved paper and was excited to circulate through numerous galleries last summer during the washi summit. I was particularly taken by work that used the material quality of the paper rather than work that used it as a ground for an image. Barbara Klunder's pieces at David Kaye's gallery inspired me to consider the possibilities of cut paper and layering. A few weeks later, I found myself at the Japanese Paper Place, overwhelmed and delighted by the variety of paper available. Conversation with Nancy Jacobi lent rich insights into the thread of life the paper carried, from its source and its makers to what it could become.