The paper used for Shoji conceals the scenery outside, but it does not cut off the outer atmosphere. Even though you are in the room, you still can  feel the clouds drifting through the sun light or feel the breeze running through a garden. Veiling these images within thin paper stretches our sense.

Hiroshi Sugimoto “Sense of Space” (2011) p.127

Translated by Hiroko Matsushita

 This installation was created during the artist residency program in Mino, Japan, where is famous for traditional paper making. I stayed there for three months (10th Sep - 9th Dec 2013) and researched how paper was made and used in their life.

 Paper making by hand involves long and complex processes. Every single element is important as well as the quality of the material and the water. Thus, my first impression working with this paper is very delicate and organic. Inspired by the beauty of paper making and also by fragments that caught my eyes, for example the surface of cold water, the reflection of light, the floating fiber and the seasonal change.

 My intention with this piece is that the audience can appreciate the beauty of a hand crafted work and also experience something intangible, such as a quiet atmosphere or a passage of time.

 Mino Washi has both softness and strength, for these reasons it allowed me to develop work by cutting intricate designs. The light weight paper creates subtle tones reminiscent to haze and has a sense of depth. The soft light floating through the cut shapes creates various shadows.