The Paper Play – Chigiri-e

Leanne Lai Hildebrand

Chigiri-e is a Japanese art form primarily based on the use of torn Washi paper to create colourful images that resembles watercolour paintings. The technique dates back to the Heian period of Japanese history in which Chigiri-e is often used in conjunction with calligraphy. Leanne Lai, will be running a chigiri-e workshop at the Vancouver TAIWANfest this year. She is passionate about art and handmade paper and has 8 years of experience in hand making books, which were sold at the Suho Memorial Paper Museum in Taipei. Since arriving in Vancouver, she has had the opportunity to teach Chigiri-e at several community centres, the Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre, and at VanDusen Botanical Gardens. She enjoys helping students create beautiful pictures from paper.