Kagaz [Project Paper]
An Exploration of Humble Materials
Project Kagaz (paper) began with the curiosity of exploring the potential in Humble materials- the materials that are simple, familiar, and low fidelity. It unfolded to become the discovery of the slow process of letting cellulose fibres bind into forms that are more than flat sheets of paper.
My first explorations led to the making of brick-like forms with scrap paper and egg cartons. A combination of the right geometry and compression strength to bind the fibres, without the addition of any external adhesives or synthetic glues, makes them structurally strong.
The objects created- vases, wall hangings and propositional pieces of furniture serve as an invitation for you to (re)familiarize yourself with the material you already know as paper.
Brick Vases
10 x 6 x 4 cm
A very simple brick-like form allowed me to play around with the properties of paper pulp after being cast. Once dried, it is a machinable surface that can be cut, drilled into or sanded. The light weight combined with visually and tactically appealing textures make it a lovely material to work with.
Goopy Vase
12 x 12 x 24 cm
Another form of working with paper pulp is sculpting it into forms. With the right ratio of water added, the process results in very organic “goopy” structures. The form, textures and colours added through materials used and the method of drying are all variables that affect the final outcome.
While scaling up the size of the casts, I was not prepared for the excessively long drying times. The thinness combined with the large surface area of this piece led to an uneven warp while drying. To go with this form the material had settled in, I decided to create an equally warped frame out of steel.
The 9 cm thick slab on the right cracked in the drying process after 9 days due to a lack of support in the mould. To put the material in a place of comfort, I decided to add steel rods and create a the 'night stand' form.
If the instructional poem sounds confusing or if you are simply a visual learner, you can watch the process video here!
Handmade paper making is a bespoke process, one that requires trial and error, listening and responding to the material. To share and document this tacit knowledge, I decided to take a less academic, more poetic and visual approach. I wanted my process to be accessible as an open-source resource for people to discover their own ways of making.
Working with the abstract forms that the material was comfortable with, I took a more intuitive approach to making. The bricks were carved into dry flower vases, geometric and tectonic. The big broken slab supports and is supported by some bent metal rods. The warped sheet gets to sit on its own, custom metal frame.
All artefacts of the process are left on the pieces as hints for people to discover how it was made and find their own practice with a Humble material of their choice!