the Tosa Hakkinshi Pure Gampi I use is made from the fine bast fibres of the bark of wild-growing shrubs of the genus wikstroemia. because the plant is difficult to cultivate and both harvesting and cleaning the fibres are demanding, gampi is among the rarest and most expensive Japanese washi papers. its thin, translucent and silky-smooth surface requires great care during coating, sensitising and washing — yet it is precisely the individual response of this delicate material that ensures every finished image remains unique.
tosa hakkinshi pure gampi, 54 × 75 cm, hand-printed in platinum-palladium.
the sheets are fixed to a support with fine acupuncture needles — a deliberately visible attachment that heightens the contrast between the almost weightless skin of the paper and its physical presentation.