Masumi Rodriguez and Elena Kirby are an artist-duo living and working between Tiohtià:ke/Montréal and Tkaronto/Toronto. Touch Me Don’t Forget Me, is our shared research practice involving material making and fibre processing of “invasive” plant species, specifically dog-strangling-vine and the relationships connected with these plants. We experiment with forms of production that involve community integration, questions about settler relationships to land, and the public engagement of land stewardship within urban greenspaces. This project involves harvesting and processing fibre from invasive species, and connecting these slower processing methods to themes of ecology, colonialism, land-use, stewardship, and responsibility.


In 2023, we spent seven months at Washi+ Residency to learn papermaking techniques using alternative fibre material collected while maintaining neighbouring kozo farms in Kochi, Japan. While building our research and technical practice as material makers, we participated in tiSamjort residency in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Guapamacataro residency in Michoacan (Mexico).


Throughout the summer of 2024, we began the PAPER LAB series which shared the process of making paper out of fibres with site-specific “invasive” plant species in collaboration with local stewardship organizations in Vancouver, Tkaronto/Toronto, and Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal. The PAPER LABS is a recurring aspect of our practice to bring conversation across disciplines with the public, the workshop series expanded to invite ecologists, community-organizers, field technicians, designers, and scholars to speak about “invasivity” and socio-political relationships to more-than-human environments while visitors are invited to process dog-strangling vine fibres.


This summer (2025), we were artists in residence and exhibited a solo show at the plumb Gallery in Tkaronto/Toronto. We have given talks about our work with the ISCMV (Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver), Université du Québec à Montréal, Concordia University and Université de l'Ontario français.

Artist-Duo CV 

Exhibitions

TUNNEL MOUND COMEBACK, upcoming solo-exhibit at the plumb Gallery | Toronto | [JULY] - [AUGUST] 2025
SLOW STREET, solo-exhibit at Studio 13 Fine Art | Vancouver | [MAY] 2024
AFTER HOURS, installation at KAMI HAKU: Ino-cho Paper Museum presented by Washi+ AiR | Kochi, Japan | 2023

Residencies

THE PLUMB | Toronto, Canada | 2025
GUAPAMACÁTARO ART & ECOLOGY | Michoacan, Mexico | [DECEMBER] 2024 - [JANUARY] 2025
TISAMJORT | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | [JANUARY] 2024
WASHI+ | Kochi, Japan | [JUNE] 2023 - [JANUARY] 2024

Workshops

PAPER LABS 2.0 at the plumb Gallery | Toronto | 2025
PROCESSING MOUND at the plumb Gallery | Toronto | 2025
OBJECT PUPPETRY with Shizuka Kai at Touchstone Theatre | Vancouver | 2025
WASHI+ PAPERMAKING at Japanese Language School | Vancouver | 2025
PAPER LABS [TIOHTIÀ:KE] at Atelier Retailles | Montreal | 2024
PAPER LABS [TKARONTO] at Evergreen Brick Works | Toronto | 2024
PAPER LABS [VANCOUVER] at Arts Factory | Vancouver | 2024
ENGLISH IVY PAPERMAKING with Free the Fern Community Co-op | Vancouver | 2024
AiR PAPERMAKING WORKSHOP at tiSamjort | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | 2024
KARAMUSHI PROCESSING with Washi+ | Kochi, Japan | 2023

Presentations

UNIVERSITE DU QUEBEC A MONTREAL facililtated by Dr. Ira Tanya Handa | Montreal | 2024
AGM FORUM Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver | Vancouver | 2024

Press

MINNOW MAGAZINE “Paper Labs” written by Victoria Bao Wang | Isuue 2 | 2025

Awards

Canada Council of the Arts Grant: Explore and Create Grant, Research and Creation | TMDFM | 2025
Ontario Arts Council: Visual Artists Creation Project | TMDFM | 2025
Conseils des Arts et des Lettres Quebec: Exploration and Research, Arts and crafts | TMDFM | 2024
Canada Council of the Arts Grant: Explore and Create Grant, Research and Creation | 2024
Canada Council of the Arts Grant: Explore and Create Grant, Professional Development | 2024
Canada Council of the Arts Grant: Explore and Create Grant, Research and Creation | 2023

Collaborative Projects

Thatness & Thereness with Shion Skye Carter and Mayumi Lashbrook | Toronto | 2025
ORGANIMA “KSHA-KSHA” with Nik Arthur and Emi Takahashi | Montreal | 2024
Dog Strangling Vine with Toko Hara | Montreal | 2024
TMDFM:RESEARCH ON THE CONTEXT OF INVASIVE SPECIES with Kihan Yoon-Henderson | Vancouver | 2024

Land Stewardship Organization Affiliation

Les Amies de Montagnes | Montreal | 2024 - Present
Toronto Nature Stewards | Toronto | 2024 - Present
Invasive Species Council Metro Vancouver | Vancouver | 2024