3D Joomchi Hanji

Handmade Korean mulberry paper composed of natural fibers with a leather-like texture. The centuries-old art of joomchi emerged from the ancient Korean art of hanji, a paper made from mulberry tree bark that has been boiled and pounded. Mulberry trees are plentiful in Korea, and, until recently, fabric was expensive, so hanji became a kind of substitute for more traditional cloth. Koreans found that they could fuse as many as 20 layers of hanji by squeezing and rubbing the damp sheets between their hands. The result is the much more durable and stronger joomchi ‘fabric’ that can last many years. Manipulating hanji paper with water and friction, causing the fibers to fuse together, creates this fabric-like paper. At least two layers of Korean mulberry paper, or hanji, are wet and then aggressively gripped, grabbed, stretched, and manipulated until the fibers are broken down and almost “felted” together. The paper is supplied in sheets of 630 x 930 mm (24.8 x 36.6 in) and weighs 55 g/m2 (1.62 oz/yd2). It is available in a range of patterns. Customization of size is available upon request. Applications include interior wallcoverings, filters (masks/purifiers), shading textiles, handbags and toys.