I came to the book arts through a formative education in printmaking, from which I learned hand papermaking, bookbinding, and various modes of image-making. At the UI Center for the Book, I primarily teach papermaking courses. I am interested in the relationship between traditional and contemporary processes: how history, culture, and language can inform an ever-growing vocabulary in the handmade.

In my own work, I consider socio-cultural interpretations of ecology and natural phenomena. Narrative has always been at the nexus of my research and artistic practice; threads therein include aesthetics, time, and community. I explore these themes through hand papermaking, installation, artists’ books, and multimedia.

From 2014-2020, I lived and worked in Echizen, Japan — a papermaking area with over 1,500 years of history — and continue to maintain an active connection with that community. My relationship with Echizen and my Japanese language training have inspired cross-cultural arts exchanges, exhibitions, and other programming. Prior to joining the faculty at the UICB, I taught papermaking and woodblock printmaking at Fukui Prefectural University, in Eiheiji, Japan. I have taught workshops and lectured at the Stamps School of Art (U-Michigan), the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Kansas, the Penland School of Craft, and the Rare Book School (University of Virginia), among others.