Review by Lex Barrie
PAPER STORIES was an immaculate collection of artworks which spoke volume into the practice and history of heritage washi and Korean Hanji paper. The very texture and endless possibilities for its usages as a medium are incredible – reflected in a variety of ways amongst artists Dominique Prevost, Susan Ruptash and Heejung Shin, at Propeller Art Gallery back in April 2025. I had the chance to talk with the artists behind the show since it’s conclusion – diving a little deeper into their artworks and their personal stories of how washi and Korean Hanji paper have changed their practices.
An adventure in color
Dominique Prevost first experimented with Washi in 2007 when owner of the Japanese Paper Place, Nancy Jacobi, offered some of the material to Propeller Art Gallery’s artist members. Her first encounter with the medium was one she stated was both frustrating and wonderful. Describing Washi paper as “full fledged participants” in her art practice, Dominique began experimenting with Washi and her main medium of watercolors – realizing quickly that each piece of paper had a different response to the water and pigment. They not only supported her watercolor pieces, but they also became an entirely new form of art that she continued to play with in PAPER STORIES.
From Left to Right: Groovy Marsh (2025) and Warm Ripples (2025)
Dominique’s color choices from PAPER STORIES were inspired by immediate emotional responses at the time of their creation. Colors are a love of Dominique’s; Dominique associates brighter colors and patterns with feelings of courage and freedom, honoring life and recalling memories of loved ones. Natural elements also play a role in her works as she attempts to capture patterns, traces and marks found in nature. By consistently challenging herself and her mediums, Dominique’s goal for a successful artwork is to have elements of surprise and effortlessness. Works such as “Blue Echoes”, “Warm Ripples” and “Groovy Marsh” all display with folds for added texture. When I asked about the significance, she described her want to create an experience of walking through a marshland – feet in water, grass flowing. The added shadows created by the folds, illudes this experience further.
From Left to Right: Blue Pants (2024), Ochre Pants (2025) & Green Pants (2023)
Another series of works from the show, known as the Pant Series, included works such as “Ochre Pants”, “Green Pants” and “Blue Pants” – which all resembled items of clothing in brightly colored patterns. It began when Dominique crossed two individual strips of translucent Sekishu Washi, that has been painted pink, in honour of her sister. Feeling an overwhelming joy upon seeing the result, she continued to make more variations of the pants – like those seen in PAPER STORIES. Each pair of pants is personalized with words in French, as well as their own stories – “Ochre Pants” carries little treasures and items someone might find on a walk, “Green Pants” reflects the idea of new growth and forest strolls and finally, “Blue Pants” refers to a pair of worn, splattered and patched work jeans. Though each of her works tells it’s own story, Dominique loves it when viewers finds their own stories within her works – as she says, it is time to “experience the fugitive and start daydreaming!”
A “not-so-subtle” history
Susan Ruptash encountered Washi paper’s potential while printmaking using a process called chine collée – a technique which involves a thin sheet of Washi paper, bonding to a heavier supporting sheet during the process of printing. It allows for greater detail in printmaking – as well as creates subtle background imagery which adds to the work being created. Susan became fascinated by the history of Washi paper itself – considering the individual fibres of the paper, where it was grown in kozo fields, and the families who, generation after generation, continue to create the material. Although extremely delicate, Washi paper is very textured, giving it extreme strength – which allowed Susan to begin printing on the Washi surfaces. Having used several different types of Washi paper in her works for PAPER STORIES – including Sekishu Kozogami, Moriki Kozo and Oguni snowbleached heritage washi – Susan’s process of making involves lots of experimentation to get effects just right. Her main goal is to honor the history of the paper itself and keep the craft of using Washi paper alive.
From Left to Right: Six (2025) & Four (2022)
Her works for PAPER STORIES, including “Six” and “Four” display the inner strength of the material, but kneading Konnyaku into the Washi. This allows for the paper to become not only stronger in form, but also flexible to bend into shapes. Konnyaku also creates a more textured look that is reminiscent of stones and icebergs. “Six” is a contrasting piece – though it is a cube, which is a rigid structure, it resembles something light and airy. While “Four” also highlight geometric forms but ones with distinct and individual personalities. The spacing between the shapes invites viewers to observe the pieces from multiple angles; the two pieces were installed to permit a range of movement and perspectives.
From Left to Right: Leap (2025) & Out (2025)
Amongst her works, ones such as “Out” pay homage to the concept of questioning what we see and the secret qualities in Washi paper. Anything barely seen or discerned is right up Susan’s alley! “Out” holds a mysterious light, barely visible to the viewer, and is depicted as a solid black object. In comparison to this mystery, “Leap” is a direct linkage to the origins of Washi. It is a calendar, made with 12 pods, each holding 29, 30 or 31 “seeds”. These “seeds” are torn pieces of a Japanese calendar, rolled and treated with Konnyaku, each page representing a single day in the year. The amount of work gone into this piece reflects the hard work and dedication washi makers endure to hone their crafts.
The nature of emotions
Heejung Shin began her practice of using Hanji by chance – having been introduced to the medium by a close friend whom Heejung met upon her initial move to Canada. The two friends supported one another on their individual journeys – through raising families, juggling careers and studies. Before her friend’s move to the United States, Heejung was given her collection of Hanji paper – something her friend had carried and kept with her when she herself moved from Korea to Canada. With such a heartwarming gesture, Heejung began her practice in reflection of it – considering the possibilities of Hanji as a medium and how it could be morphed.
From Left to Right: Faded 1, Floating 1 & A la recherche du temps perdu 1
Several of Heejung’s works from PAPER STORIES came from places of memory, dislocation and searching for something. “A la recherche perdu 1” for example, was inspired by the feeling of being suspended in time, when memories come back in fragments, surfacing in unexpected moments. “Faded 1”speaks similarly to memory – but more specifically to the sense of longing for these memories, an aching of missing people from the past. Heejung described how that sense of longing forms as absence over time; Heejung used this work to describe the emotional connection that remains strong despite extended time away, losing the image of certain faces or being unable to remember a loved one’s voice. “Floating 1” captured a similar idea but focused on the feeling of being an immigrant – the underwater resemblance to the work reflects how Heejung feels slightly removed from a world she is also apart of – one she described as being disconnected, never fully within reach. All three works were expanded upon as individual series of threes – exploring variations of these feelings and struggles, while also reflecting on the shifting of these emotions over time. The series “Faded” reflects the evolution of her feelings, altering the perspectives by style and color in search of the “right” way to express her internalized emotions.
By visual observation alone, Heejung’s works seemingly reflect natural elements – rain, trees, fog, etc. Using memory as a map for her work, Heejung uses Hanji as a tool to create a depth in her works that ressemble shifting light or movement. Much like her series of works from PAPER STORIES, Heejung showcases an emotional evolution of works, focusing on the different approaches she can take to face her feelings, honestly. “The materials and techniques”, she says, “are just tools – the core message I want to convey remains the same”.
Thank you once again to these amazing artists for their sharing their stories through this exhibit – if you missed it and want to learn more about the artists or their works, follow Propeller Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibits and check out our members gallery for more info!
