I am so honored to be the recipient of the Awagami Paper Award from the International Mokuhanga Conference this year, taking place in Nara, Japan. The Awagami Paper Company have been producing paper for over 6 generations by the Fujimori family in Tokushima, Japan, while keeping up with tradition and the needs of contemporary artists worldwide. The award includes 50 sheets of Awagami Paper, which is some of the best paper in the world.

I am indebted to my fantastic teachers from Japan, for the residencies that I attended by the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory in Kawaguchi-ko, Japan, under the shadow of Mt. Fuji, for the privilege of attending carving practice in the studio of Motoharu Asaka, and for the workshop in the studio of Katsutoshi Yuasa, in Tokyo. I particularly love the community of artists who are practicing Mokuhanga internationally, particularly the group of women we call the “Mokuhanga Sisters”, who have guided my practice since 2017.