Jacqueline Mallegni - Paper Rain Studio



Jacqueline Mallegni - Paper Rain Studio

About The Artist

Jacqueline Mallegni • Santa Fe, NM
Mixed Media • WHOLESALE AVAILABLE • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

My journey with papermaking began with kozo fiber in 1989. Over the years my work with paper and sculpture has varied from light fixtures to stone carving to mixed materials fiber art. The materials I converse with include rattan, handmade paper made with kozo (paper mulberry) cast flax and cellulose-based roving. Sometimes the work is embellished with mono-prints or infused with indigo, sumi ink, and handmade plant-based inks and stains.



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

I begin by making paper with a sugeta and bast fibers from Asia. The fiber is soaked, cooked and beaten by hand, then sheets of 'washi' are pulled. The armatures are made using a lashing technique with waxed linen thread. I also make moulds for casting sheets of washi or flax fiber paper to create three-dimensional fiber sculptures. Often I will apply many layers of paper using plant-based pigments, and fiber for inclusions, inks, and stains. I use kakishibu and indigo as surface embellishment.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

Much of my inspiration comes from interfacing with a wild landscape. I love the organic shapes and textures I find in natural habitats. I'm also inspired by the open vessel form that lends itself to posing the question: what are the possibilities of this vessel? Is it a container for dreams or totems or is it a boat on an ethereal journey? Each piece tells a story, and each story sparks motivation to continue to explore variations on the theme of art + life.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

Very early in my life, I discovered Japanese aesthetics and minimalism based on design concepts. What has been surprising is how the introspection of my art practice has given meaning and substance to my life existentially. The process of dreaming, making, and marketing feels holistic. Each series or body of work carries the creative thread of weaving with fiber, water, and screen.