Kendall Clarke: a passion for paper
The process of weaving is known to be slow and often painstaking, so it might seem an unusual choice to make your own materials from scratch before you even begin. But, for artist Kendall Clarke, to be able to create her own weaving yarn from Japanese paper is a privilege and a pleasure. Kendall shares Dorothea Rockburne’s view that ‘a piece of paper is a metaphysical object’, a special material that is closely linked to spirituality, culture and experience. In Japan, washi paper has been used for nearly 1500 years in numerous aspects of religious and daily life, from scrolls to lanterns to clothes to houses. The tradition of making textiles from paper continues to this day. So, when she was recently awarded the prestigious QEST Sanderson Design Company scholarship, Kendall chose to travel to Japan to take a deep dive into her love of all things paper.
Image: Kendall Clarke. Reductive. Photograph by Peer Lindgreen. Image above: Kendall Clarke. Formation.
Her work is known for exploring the history and culture of paper and writing as well as of paper textiles, and her long-held dream had been to travel to the source to study ancient and traditional techniques for making her own materials. Thanks to the QEST scholarship, she was able to work with expert paper spinner and shifu weaver Hiroko Karuno over an extended period in her Kyoto home and studio. As well as refining her spinning and weaving skills, she also began to build a network of contacts in the world of handmade paper textiles, from papermakers in mountain villages to contemporary museums and galleries to independent obi and kimono weavers and local craft centres teaching traditional textile workshops.
Her work is known for exploring the history and culture of paper and writing as well as of paper textiles, and her long-held dream had been to travel to the source to study ancient and traditional techniques for making her own materials. Thanks to the QEST scholarship, she was able to work with expert paper spinner and shifu weaver Hiroko Karuno over an extended period in her Kyoto home and studio. As well as refining her spinning and weaving skills, she also began to build a network of contacts in the world of handmade paper textiles, from papermakers in mountain villages to contemporary museums and galleries to independent obi and kimono weavers and local craft centres teaching traditional textile workshops.
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