What is Chiyogami?

History
Originally produced as woodblock prints in the Edo period (1603-1867), today’s popular chiyogami decorative paper is hand-printed by silkscreen in several small studios around Kyoto.
Often inspired by textile and kimono patterns which include symbolic and seasonal motifs, designers of chiyogami continue to expand the options to ever-new heights.

Uses
Although used in Edo times mostly to make flat anesama paper dolls, over time chiyogami became popular for use for book covers, covering small chests, and other crafts in Japan. Today the paper is avidly collected around the world and used by artists and craftspeople for a broad range of creative work.

Process
Using high-quality, carefully-mixed pigment inks, the printers apply each colour one by one, using precise registration of each. A single pattern may have as many as 10 colours. Each colour is applied separately and dried before the next is pressed through the screen using a squeegee.

Japanese-made chiyogami is incomparable in quality in the world of printed papers. Intense, richly-pigmented inks, brilliant designs, exceptional colour sensitivity, and printed with unparalleled precision to produce exceptional papers.

The Contest
To create an original design that considers the history and traditional uses of chiyogami while expressing a contemporary aesthetic.

This pattern was designed by Lauren Mead, winner of The Japanese Paper Place's first Chiyogami Design Competition.

The Prize

The successful design will be sent to Japan, screens will be created and used to print chiyogami paper which will be available for distribution exclusively through The Japanese Paper Place to our resellers internationally. The designer will receive 25 sheets of chiyogami paper with their design (retail value $475.00), acknowledgement on our website, through social media channels, and $500.00 CAD.

Eligibility
Open to all except employees of The Japanese Paper Place and their immediate family members.

Requirements

• the design is not to exceed 15cm x 15cm
• the design must successfully tessellate within a 61cm x 91.5cm area
• line thickness must exceed .8mm
• use three colours including either gold or silver metallic
• the warm-white of the paper can be used as fourth a colour and must be indicated as such
• design is to be centred on the page
• include a 2.5cm x 2.5cm colour swatch of each colour used, below and aligned to the left of the design
• label each swatch stating the Pantone colour number and name of each colour used
• include a realization of the pattern as you envision it repeating in a 61cm x 91.5cm area to represent a full sheet of chiyogami -- scale should be such that it can be printed on a 28cm x 43cm sheet of paper (image size approx 20.3 cm x 30.5cm)
• include a document header stating: your full name; email address; mailing address; phone number
• pdf of submission layout available on The Japanese Paper Place web site, https://www.japanesepaperplace.com/learn/events/c... or by email from: paula@japanesepaperplace.com

Submissions
The entry portal will open 13 December 2019.
Submit all entries through the “submissions” link on the web site (https://www.japanesepaperplace.com/learn/events/category/other-events/)
Entries must be received before midnight 17 January 2020
A non-refundable fee of $20.00 per submission is required (payable through PayPal). Should the winner reside in a country other then Canada, they will be responsible for any costs associated with shipping the paper.

Please note: Failure to comply to ALL submission requirements will result in a void entry.