Twined cord made from paper bakery bags. In this piece, I wanted to explore the Korean Jiseung basket-making technique where, traditionally, strips of mulberry paper are twisted into cords then woven around each other so tightly, a lacquer finish makes the baskets watertight. This is part of my exploration into applying knowledge and skills that we already have to materials now abundant around us. My basket is far from watertight, but the waxy finish on the paper bags makes the material flexible and strong. The ends of the stakes are pulled out flat, allowing the viewer to see and touch the material in its original and more familiar state, and gives the basket the appearance of a sunflower with a spiral of woven seeds when it’s flipped over.
