Poland | Inexhaustible Paper exhibition - Echizen washi

The Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha (Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology) in Krakow, Poland presents the exhibition: Inexhaustible Paper: Echizen washi, running till January 23, 2022

The exhibition presents all the active paper-making workshops in the Echizen paper village in Japan along with the outlining of cultural, religious, historical and connection to nature contexts.

There are many ways to talk about the Echizen Paper Village. Historically, it is one of the oldest craft centers in Japan, dating back to the 8th century. In terms of religion, it is the home of the goddess Kawakami Gozen - the only shrine in the country that patronizes all papermakers. Due to the technology of obtaining paper, Echizen is a source of perfect material, valued to this day, among others, at the imperial court. Thanks to the cooperation with the greatest artists such as Yayoi Kusama, the village made a presence in the arts. This is where the Living National Treasury workshop - Ichibei Iwano IX is located. And everything is immersed in the noise of springs and green hills.

The complexity of the exhibition proves the endless possibilities of describing Echizen.
Technology of washi formation can be traced thanks to the devices that for over a hundred years have co-created the history of the Yamaguchi family paper mill (a gift from Kazuo and Kazunori Yamaguchi, supplemented with a few items from the workshop of Ichibei Ivano IX - the Living National Treasure).

Washi takes on new values in the works of artists: Ivy Gobić (structural works), Paweł Napierała (installation) and Grzegorz Myćka (animations). Each creator perceives the paper differently - he brings out its different aspects and uses different means of expression, all the time leaving Echizen washi in the center.