Photos: Japanese Papermaking Festival
April 16, 2023
Nick Cladis, a professor at the University of Iowa, was granted to host a Japanese papermaking festival on Friday April 14, 2023. Special artists Masami Igarashi and Hideaki Taki came from Echizen, a small papermaking village in Japan. Their flight was 18 hours and will be staying in Iowa City for two weeks.
Cladis explained that Kozo is a fiber that originates from Japan and is used for traditional Japanese papermaking. Kozo is a type of mulberry that is grown and used locally in Iowa. A kozo fiber averages 1 centimeter long which is much more durable and resistant than typical paper.
Cladis also said that he teaches Advanced Papermaking Production and Papermaking One. His goal is to not only teach the art of papermaking but also its history and development through Chinese and Japanese culture. Cladis lived in Echizen, Japan for six years.
