The UI Center for the Book (UICB), with funding from an International Programs Major Projects Award, will bring two Japanese papermakers to participate in a two-week residency on the University of Iowa campus. The Major Project titled The Future of a Tradition: Asian Craft, Iowa Innovation, and Japanese Papermaking, will take place April 11-24, 2023, in which Masami Igarashi and Hideaki Taki will be on campus as visiting artisans from the Echizen papermaking region of Japan to engage in an open dialogue about Japanese papermaking techniques. The UICB's resident artisans will interact with the UI community through lectures, hands-on workshops and demonstrations, and the production of a papermaking project at the UICB Oakdale Papermaking Research Facility.
“It is extremely rare for Japanese craftspeople to visit a university like this and to share their life experiences and knowledge with the public in this way,” said Nicholas Cladis, lecturer in the UICB and co-organizer of the residency. “These residencies serve as a representation of traditional craft and contemporary expression.”
The Echizen province in Japan has a 1,500-year history of hand papermaking, and Igarashi and Taki are leaders in their respective modes of paper production. Cladis lived and worked in the Echizen papermaking region for many years. In summer 2022, he took a group of UI graduate students to the region to receive intensive hands-on training and cultural immersion in traditional paper mills. The goal of The Future of a Tradition is to further anchor Echizen expertise in Iowa City, while enlarging the outreach objectives of the UICB and allied partners. Joining Cladis as co-organizer is Matthew Brown, associate professor in the UI Department of English.
Full schedule, details of events, and profiles on the artisans and co-organizers
During Igarashi and Taki’s residency, UI students, staff, and community members are invited to attend two events featuring the artisans where participants will get to interact with and engage in Japanese papermaking and related crafts. Events include:
Paper Artisan Talk and Q&A
Date/Time: Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 6 - 8 p.m. (CDT)
Location: Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building, room 105
Join the UI Center for the Book and UI International Programs in welcoming Masami Igarashi and Hideaki Taki to the university. Both artisans will be discussing the types of papers they make in their respective studios, as well as their personal background with the craft. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A and an opportunity to handle and purchase paper from both mills.
Japanese Papermaking Festival
Date/Time: Friday, April 14, 2023, from 1 - 4:30 p.m. (CDT)
Location: North Hall Lawn on the UI campus (rain location: ground floor of North Hall)
UICB graduate students, Masami Igarashi and Hideaki Taki will be hosting hands-on workshops connected to the world of handmade paper. Bring your friends, roommates, and family and become a part of this wonderful celebration of the art of hand papermaking.
Through the generous support of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization (SUIFSO), the International Programs' Major Projects Award promotes important contributions to scholarly debates and exchanges on international topics, issues, discoveries, and arts. Additional funding for the residencies provided by the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies and the UI School of Art and Art History.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Daniel Vorwerk in advance by email at daniel-vorwerk@uiowa.edu or call 319-467-1619.
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.