PAPER AS ART

At the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI), papermaking is at the core of the gallery’s spirit. Papermakers employ European techniques at their workshops, but the basic cotton, linen or mulberry are not the only materials they work with. A variety of materials can be used, explains senior papermaker Gordon Koh. The important step lies in scooping the material up with a flat sieve, in which it takes its permanent shape. STPI often experiments with unusual fibres and methods to create a unique piece of paper for artworks.

01 SPICES

South Korean artist Haegue Yang wanted a symbolic visual of the spice trade and how it transformed civilisations. Each piece of paper is dedicated to a spice or herb, created by individually mixing each ingredient with paper pulp.

02 PINEAPPLE HUSK

After boiling the husks in soda ash, the fibres are extracted and employed in the usual papermaking process; they are mixed with water and sieved. The paper is then pressed to squeeze out excess water and left to dry.

03 DURIAN HUSK

The team also used the same soda ash method for durian husks. The tougher fibres create a durable paper, but more effort is required to pull them out from the husk.

04 BEAN SPROUTS

This paper was inspired by veteran artist Amanda Heng’s performance piece, Let’s Chat, which involves picking beansprouts and just talking. Bean sprout husks are boiled, rinsed in cold water and poured over a sieve to form paper.