murmur | morinokomichi

STORY

• 
  murmur is a brand launched in 2014.
  
  The name was inspired by the sound of leaves, streams and the gentle rustling sound made by Japanese washi papers. The collection is created with great passion and commitment, for the sake of delivering an exciting and memorable experience.
• The origin of Futamata Washi—a precious traditional craft with a 1,300-year history that continues to be handmade today—dates back to the years between 717 and 724 when paper-making first began in Futamata-machi, Kanazawa.
  
  Washi is characterized by its markedly longer fibers compared to machine-made papers and, for this reason, is said to be resilient for its thinness, comparably long-lasting and has a distinct texture. Washi was once even used as the material for umbrellas. In comparison to the western-style papers made of wood pulp, the limited choice of materials and low production rate supposedly renders washi more costly to make.
  
  The making of washi involves as many as 12 processes and, adapted to the seasonal conditions of the given place, is carried out under the natural environment.
  
  In my sincere wish for this place’s traditional craft—whose makers are today down to only two in number—to continue to be passed along and my humble desire to create out of washi something that fits today’s lifestyle and is felt more familiar and part of him- or herself, I am hoping that this exhibition will serve as an opportunity for younger generations who are not familiar with washi and a broader, international audience to learn more about it.
  
• 
  Moreover, the challenge of attaching added values to the existing charm of washi and expanding the material’s own possibility has led me to lay a particular emphasis on designs that maximize the subtle transparency, as it were, of the fibers unique to hand-scooped washi, that becomes apparent once soaked in resin.
  
  The subtle translucency also makes the light and shade of the overlapped parts one of the charms.
  
  Finally, in addition to the convenience of the resin-coating providing the material with water resistance and added resilience, processing washi this way allows me to capture the shape of transient, momentary beauty, in a way not possible with paper alone.
  
  Dying, cutting, nipping, folding and pasting on top, I design and produce every day, exploring charms expressible only with washi.