This project focuses on the production and experimentation of traditional Japanese Washi paper at the Hiroko Tanino paper mill in Saitama, Japan. Riccardo Ajossa, a researcher, and artist specializing in Eastern handmade paper, teaches Paper Technologies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and founded Italy’s first mulberry paper studio. He is a national reference point for mulberry paper manufacturing and its applications in contemporary art and restoration.
Ajossa has led several international exchange projects on papermaking with Morocco, Korea, China, and Japan. Through the support of the Japanese Embassy in Rome, he began a collaborative research project with the Hiroko Tanino paper mill, a renowned institution working closely with the Japanese government to promote traditional papermaking.
During his residency, Ajossa immersed himself in the full Washi production cycle—harvesting mulberry bark, boiling, beating, and purifying fibers by hand under the guidance of the local master papermakers. The final step, the delicate formation of paper sheets using the Suketa frame, was taught to him personally by Master Hiroko Tanino.
The resulting Washi sheets, handcrafted by Ajossa, were brought back to Italy for testing and artistic experimentation, paving the way for a new body of work on Washi paper to be developed in Japan in 2025. The Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo has expressed interest in supporting a future presentation of the project.