12 1/2"  x  13"  x  6 1/2" Height

Stoneware w/ Mulberry Washi Paper

Electric Fired

Made in Minnesota, USA

Washi Pieces:
The washi-covered pieces were also inspired by my trip to Taiwan last year. While there, I spent a lot of time in galleries and antique stores, many of which carried Japanese pieces. I found several pieces of old ikkanbari work: woven or wooden pieces that had been reinforced with washi and stained with either kakishibu dye or sealed with urushi. I also noticed that several modern galleries were incorporating washi in their interior design in somewhat unexpected ways- using it as a decorative element to cover the cord of a pendant lamp, for example. I was attracted to the richly layered surfaces of these pieces and wanted to incorporate this treatment in some of the work I made during my residency period. Last summer, I debuted the first three pieces from this series at Sara: two sculptural vessels with plain white washi, and one vessel covered in washi and sealed with kakishibu..

This year, I continued experimenting with this surface treatment using some different materials. For this exhibition, many of the pieces were covered with a mulberry washi- a material chosen for its fibrous texture and subtle sheen. Additionally, I wanted to explore the unique color-changing capacity of kakishibu dye. This material usually starts as a rich, red-orange/brown color, but due to the tannins naturally present in the persimmon juice, the color changes to adeep black when exposed to iron. The charcoal-colored pieces in the show were achieved by layering thin coats of kakishibu with an iron/vinegar wash. The surface appears metallic from a distance, but on closer inspection has a lot of depth. You can see areas where the kakishibu dried a little thick and began to crack, exposing previous layers.

Because of the fragile nature of these pieces, they are meant to be decorative only and should not be submerged in water for any extended period of time. If dusty, they can be gently wiped with a soft, damp cloth.