Salt, Pigment & Momigami
This work is a tactile experiment with chemical reactions, texture, and paper manipulation.
The piece begins as a fluid salt painting on Wenzhou rice paper—a traditional Chinese bark paper praised for its exceptional strength and durability. By introducing acrylics copper and iron, the salt pulls and crystallises the pigments, creating organic patinas and unpredictable, elemental patterns through oxidation.
Once dry, the paper undergoes the traditional Japanese process of Momigami (kneaded paper). By repeatedly crumpling and rubbing the sheet by hand, the stiff mulberry fibres are broken down to create a soft, wrinkled, and leather-like quality. Transforming a flat surface into a deeply sensory, physical object, the durable resulting paper is ideally suited to be used as a custom, handcrafted book cover.
Project Details:
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Salt painting on authentic Wenzhou mulberry rice paper
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Experimental mixed media using acrylic, watercolour, and iron oxidation
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Hand-manipulated using the Japanese Momigami technique
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Suitable for custom artistic bookbinding and covers
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Dimensions: 43 x 43 cm)
Further Studies and Variations
A selection of studies and process work exploring the interaction between salt and colour. These ongoing explorations focus on pure watercolour or acrylic washes on various fine art papers. They capture the controlled crystallisation of the salt before the paper is hand-kneaded, showcasing the wide range of textures and organic patterns achieved through this deliberate technical process.
