For more than a millennium, Japanese papermakers have refined and mastered the process of making washi – a strong, translucent, absorbent, and malleable paper-like material with a multitude of applications ranging from artwork to conservation to interior accessories, and much more. In a co-presentation between JFT and The Japanese Paper Place, we are inviting a panel of washi users and specialists, including an 8th generation papermaker from Shimane Prefecture (Sekishu), to share their unique perspectives on how Japanese paper has endured and thrived throughout the centuries. We will learn about the creative ways artists in Toronto and worldwide are using washi, unique challenges today’s papermakers face, and examine the question of where washi will go from here.

Image credits: Dominique Prevost; Danielle Shatz