Japanese-style papermaking and kozo gardening
2014-Present
Much of the labor in papermaking lives quietly in the background—care, cultivation, and small decisions that shape the materials long before they reach the studio.
I learned how to cultivate Broussonetia x kazinoki (aka, kozo), in both Echizen, Japan. Among other experiences and training in cultivation and harvest, I worked on the “Save the Kozo” project under the guidance of Kato Shizuko.
On this page you can see the process of turning kozo into handmade paper.
Paper made from kozo
The paper I have produced from both “Iowa kozo” and Japanese-grown kozo has been commissioned and used by the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and numerous artists around the globe, as well as in my own artworks. I continue to make fine handmade papers from kozo at my studio in Iowa City, IA.
Kozo garden director and manager at the University of Iowa Center for the Book
In 2020, I relocated to the University of Iowa Center for the Book, where I directed and managed the kozo garden and associated programming. At the UICB, kozo is grown near the former papermaking research facility in Coralville, IA. The UICB kozo garden was originally planted by Timothy Barrett ~30 years ago.
During my time directing the UICB’s kozo garden from 2020-25, I applied what I had learned in Japan to double fiber yield by promoting growth of new plants. I also changed the fiber garden into a resource primarily for student use and artwork. During those years, the garden averaged a total of 35kg of fiber for student projects.
The annual kozo harvest event at the UICB grew to include potlucks, expanded community outreach, and additional programming. Kozo harvests, whether in the US or Japan, are festive gatherings that honor labor, allow us to slow down, and bring people together. Community members come to the kozo field to cut and steam the plants — and enjoy a shared meal. When I led harvests, we steamed sweet potatoes alongside the kozo and cooked a pot of curry for the crew. Email me if you’d like the recipe.
The methods in cultivation and the harvest programming I developed / applied to this garden continue to be used at the UI Center for the Book.
Cross-cultural programming
The Iowa kozo garden was also home to cross-cultural programming from 2020-25: in 2022, assisted by the University of Iowa Center for Asian and Pacific Studies and International Programs, I taught a study abroad course, Artists & Artisans in a Traditional Japanese Papermaking Village, which allowed UI students to become immersed in a Japanese papermaking community and apply their knowledge to their studies in Iowa (presented at the 2023 conference for North American Hand Papermakers in Providence, RI); in 2023, two paper artisans from Echizen, Taki Hideaki and Igarashi Masami, came to Iowa City, toured the kozo garden, and participated in a papermaking festival and artisan talks; and in 2024, artist Masuda Yoriyasu came to Iowa City and toured the kozo garden — as did artist Sugimoto Hiroshi in 2025.
