Asian paper

These papers are not necessarily Chinese rice paper. They come from Japan and Korea as well as China, and can be made of mulberry bark, bamboo, hemp, linen and rice straw or can even be synthetic. The paper is usually very thin and delicate and is used for sumi-e, Asian Hanzi and Kanji calligraphy and painting.

The paper requires immediacy, spontaneity, confidence and a contradictory combination of both deliberation (care and consideration) and non deliberation (complete randomness). That’s why it is so appealing. The paper must be painted correctly with every stroke otherwise the ‘zen’ of it all is lost and there is nowhere to go except the bin. The paint does not move or flow but remains exactly where it is placed. The statement about not wasting brushstrokes is certainly correct when painting on this paper: ‘Put, Push, Pull and Flick each stroke’. It took me six attempts to be happy enough with the painting shown to present it here – albeit it’s still dodgy. That is the absolute thrill of painting on Asian papers. I recommend it thoroughly just so you can experience the joy and intensity of the creative process