Paper Pilgrimage: Bombs, Bandits, and a Vanishing Art in Southeast Asia

A video with photos from my upcoming travel book, about my hunt for handmade paper.

From the back cover text (by NY based writer Kristal Hawkins):

"For Ebriel, the world is a treasure trove of art supplies. Paper Pilgrimage is the story of her search for surfaces more expressive than machine-made paper, and for sheets of good paper larger than those she has made in her own bathtub. With a growing awareness of the region, its people, and our moment in history, Ebriel traces Southeast Asia's ancient and very local tradition of hand-made paper amid increasing modernization and the resurgence of China’s regional dominance.

Among the journey's many rewards are a lesson from a paper philosopher in northern Thailand, a detour with treehouse designers in the jungles of Bokeo, and a glimpse at a Dao shaman's sacred book. Part art history and part travelogue, Paper Pilgrimage is not only a remarkable record of a fading craft, but also a sensitive tribute to the artisans and families who enlist armaments and Hollander beaters to turn bamboo, mulberry and elephant dung into paper in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam."

Included are over 70 cyanotypes and full-color photos, and detailed descriptions of the processes of 10 papermakers and artisans.

Trade paperback to be released by ThingsAsian Press in 2012.

Special edition available in late 2012

Special Edition specs:

• A4 size (11.7 x 8.3 in) handmade mulberry/bamboo paper
• Japanese style binding, with extra-thick golden silk
• Comes in protective cover of hemp or silk (still working on that one)
• Approx 110 pages of stories, illustrations, and paper recipes
• Special Edition has extra info on paper and lots of additional photos for papermakers / paper connoisseurs: equipment, techniques, and materials from Thai, Lao, Vietnamese, and hilltribe papermakers

And – 9 paper samples

• Elephant dung, banana trunk fiber (birds nest paper), and Idin paper from Thailand
• Hmong bamboo and "bomb" mulberry from Laos;
• Ultra-thin mulberry and hilltribe Sacred Papers from Vietnam.
• And a special surprise paper at the end.

Collectible edition of 108 copies (inspired by the Buddhist "108 Agonies of Man"). That's all the copies that will be created of this Special Edition.

Ever.

If you'd like to be a part of this paper journey, you can pre-order a Special Edition of Paper Pilgrimage for $250 (includes shipping worldwide)

It will increase to $300 once it's finished.

Bank transfers are recommended, PayPal may be possible. Just contact me for details : Art @ EBriel . com 

PS: (Find out more about the video's music here.)