Karamushi [false nettle / ramie ]
Handmade paper
Ino, Japan
2023
Karamushi
05.01-12.30 2023
Seven months at Washi+, Kochi, Japan
Learning about making paper using alternative fibre, while working on local kozo farms during weeding season.
Our paper was made from karamushi plants we weeded from the farms.
Our mentors included Ayumi Hamada, Hiromasa Hamada, Ryusuke Kitaoka, and Myu Uchida. Time and relationship built here was important, to learn from the kozo farms, the community, and the people who were open to sharing their knowledge.
From there we build a practice around making material into objects that engage with embued memories of their making. We aim to continue to find ways that the knowledge of what goes into this material will connect us with others.
The project was a two step research and create collaborative exploration with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts to be artists in residence at Washi+ Kochi, Japan and for material production (predominantly paper) research focused on utilizing invasive plant species as sourced fiber.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
