About Gampi from Japan
The Chinese characters for gampi literally translates as “goose skin”. This paper is sometimes referred to as “silk tissue”.
Paper Connection’s Gampi Paper Collection is made from 100% gampi, a lustrous, silky fiber native to Japan and other parts of Asia. Both in its sheet form or in the raw fiber form, gampi by its natural make-up reacts to ink as if it had sizing on it. In other words, it holds ink on its crisp, smooth surface beautifully. At Paper Connection, we call it the “queen of printmaking”.
All of our gampi sheets were made in Kōchi Prefecture, located on the island of Shikoku, in southwestern Japan. Gampi fiber comes from the inner bark of branches of the gampi bush. Since it is difficult to cultivate, it is obtained from wild plants, therefore paper is especially coveted. Although some thinner gampi sheets seem fragile, each sheet is extremely strong and impervious to insects.
Historically, gampi was used for mimeographs. Today, with its high quality finish, the uses have expanded to chine collé, etching, lithograph, monotype, relief, offset, letterpress and inkjet printing, art conservation and model-making- like those paper balloons… It’s incredibly strong; much stronger than it looks!
1. (First 2 papers from left) . We stock Usuyou Gampi-shi @ 10g/m² in white and natural in sheets 24.8 x 37 in. and now both of these gampi papers stocked in 10-meter rolls! Rolls are used for big installations or big prints, even dipped in wax! Check out these stunning monoprints on usuyou gampi paper dipped in encaustic wax by Christine Shannon Aaron.
2. (3rd image from left) . Kitakata paper is the only one in our collection which is made from a gampi mix fiber and made by Awagami Factory. Not only do we have kitakata paper in sheets, but in a few weeks we will have kitakata in rolls! Below is a group of 4 intaglio prints on kitakata paper by the talented Amanda J. Thackery.
3. (2 papers from right side). We also stock sheets of pre-backed gampi or Gampi Sukiawase paper. 100% gampi surface with a mixed pulp backing.
These work well for intaglio; really any kind of relief printmaking. Style # M-0227 80g/m² Natural. #M-0229 white 100g/m² . Both are 24.8 x 37 inches. One other weight of limited edition gampi in stock as well.
20-meter roll of gampi sukiawase paper in White #M-0229 recently added to our inventory.
Read our blog-interview with printmaker Larry Welo and his high praise of using gampi sukiawase paper for his etchings.