Awagami Factory, Yoshinogawa, Japan (2.5 months)
On Place, is a collection of artworks inspired by local material, landscape, and scenery of Yoshinogawa, Japan. Using traditional papermaking techniques combined with experiments in application and scale, works respond directly to the land and resources surrounding the Awagami Factory.
All works are created from Japanese paper known as “washi,” made from local plants grown alongside the Yoshino River and nearby mountains. Works in exhibition include: 4 large-scale pulp paintings made from kozo plant material; 52 illustrations of local plants, insects, animals, and objects on kozo, bamboo, and mitsumama washi; 3 hand-woven spider webs embedded in kozo; 9 illustrations of spider threads made directly from cobwebs and ink on bamboo paper.
In partnership with Planet Labs, an Earth-imaging company in San Francisco, daily satellite imagery was collected of the Tokushima Prefecture. Images for pulp paintings were sourced from dozens of satellite images, selected scenes of Yoshinogawa reveal shifting cloud patterns and weather which occurred during the residency period.
Other works in this collection depict the pieces of the land. Like a “key” or “legend” to the large map-like pulp paintings, these works give context to the featured location. It is within objects, gifts, and observations that the local area and washi becomes identifiable and unique.
On Place, is inspired by an immersive experience of life in Yoshinogawa, Japan encapsulated in washi-based projects. Through investigative research both on the ground and from outer space, this series reflects the spirit and artifacts of a place. All works display a wide range of application and uses, exploring paper as the primary medium.