The Nature of Things: Crafting Handmade Paper in Rajasthan

My practice is an evolving inquiry into how place is embodied, altered, and remembered through matter—a sustained exploration of how materials carry knowledge, tell stories, and transform over time.

In June and July 2025, I undertook a six-week artist residency in Jaipur, India, in collaboration with Michigan State University and the Indian Institute of Craft and Design. Working as part of a three-person team, I researched and documented the endangered craft of handmade paper production in Sanganer, resulting in the 20-minute documentary film The Nature of Things: Crafting Handmade Paper in Rajasthan.

Renowned for its rich craft traditions, Rajasthan is home to generations of skilled artisans whose practices remain deeply connected to local materials, culture, and environment. Handmade paper, produced in the region for centuries, represents a remarkable example of sustainable craft knowledge.

Guided by questions surrounding cultural heritage, materiality, environmental relationships, and the future of traditional making, the film explores how artisans are adapting to contemporary challenges while maintaining longstanding practices. More than a record of process, the project foregrounds the resilience, ingenuity, and deep-rooted wisdom embedded within craft traditions, reflecting my ongoing interest in the relationship between material culture, place, and preservation.