We’ve just confirmed that Tatiana Ginsberg, as well as giving her lecture on the natural dyeing of washi in the villages of Japan, will also be teaching a day-long workshop on the subject. Since washi is more akin to textile in its ability to absorb colour intensely and its malleability, it often draws people with textile backgrounds. There will be beautiful stitched and dyed works using washi in the galleries, including work by 3 of our JPP staff.

Which brings us to the Washiwear fashion show at the Gladstone Hotel, happening on Monday June 9th. We have some special garments coated with konnyaku starch on the menu, but if you would like to take part in this event and have a piece of clothing, jewelry or an accessory that you have created using washi that you’d like to be seen, send us an image. Not only might you become the next Issey Miyake, but you would also be eligible for a $100.00 gift certificate towards your next purchase of washi if the item is modeled that night!

Reg Beatty’s latest work. Image links to enlarged photo.

Here is a sneak preview of the latest innovation by book artist Reg Beatty. He is layering plaster and acrylic on seichosen kozo to create a “canvas” that he can then draw on and then use in the creation of a book. Love it! when an artist uses a myriad of qualities of the paper in one fell swoop. Reg is the King of beauty, form and function in books. He’ll be teaching 2 workshops and exhibiting at the New Work by Washi Veterans exhibit here at The Japanese Paper Place.

Visitors from Japan

Without Paul Denhoed and Maki Yamashita,there would have been no application to The Japan Foundation to pay for the airfares. Such an application requires hours of work (in Japanese) and efforts to coordinate on the Japan side. Without that big chunk of costs covered, there would have been no papermakers here for the Summit and very likely no Summit. We are grateful to them for their help and for their guiding-services-to-be in June.

Paul comes from Toronto, but received his MFA in papermaking at the U. of Iowa some years ago where his interest in Japanese paper ran deep. During further study in the papermaking villages of Japan, he met Maki who shared his interest in paper through her printmaking and bookbinding. Now they share a life!

Hiroaki Imai tending his kozo field. Image links to enlarged photo.

Paul often helps Imai-san tend the kozo field (left) or do other jobs where an extra hand is appreciated. This relationship has allowed Paul a respectful glimpse at a papermaker’s life. You can see and hear more about this if you attend Paul’s lecture at The Japan Foundation on June 12th.

Hiroaki Imai laying out kozo to bleach in the snow. Image links to enlarged photo.

This studio is in snow country where they can “bleach” the fibres by laying them out on the snow (right) and often store the wet papers in a deep hole in the snow until the sunny warm weather comes for drying them. Imai-san’s beautiful kozo paper will be transformed by several artists who will show their work at the Summit.

Recently emailing from Niigata, Paul recounted this charming anecdote:

Imai-san’s middle daughter, 4-year old Ricoh-chan is currently on an “English kick.” She says she wants to be an English teacher when she grows up! All three of his daughters are learning English at a local English school, and I help them out a little when I am here.

When it was decided that he would be going to Toronto, Imai-san joked to Ri-chan “I don’t understand any English, so you’re going to have to go with me as my translator!” She replied “OK!” Everybody laughed, but a few days later they found out that she had been telling all her friends at school “I’m going to Canada to translate for my papa!”

Kurotani: the village with the oldest continuing papermaking tradition in Japan. Image links to enlarged photo.

As well as Imai-san from Niigata, we have invited Shinji Hayashi from Kurotani (right), the oldest continuing papermaking village in Japan, and Hiroshi Tamura from Kochi. All make top-quality traditional washi and you’ll see more about them and their papers later.