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• HIROKO SAKURAI — WASHI WORKSHOP - MAUI

  • Start
    21 Nov 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    22 Nov 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Maui Arts & Cultural Center
  • Spaces left
    10
  • Registered
    2 registrants

  Register

  WASHI WORKSHOP:  Itajime/Origami Dye, Urauchi Paper Backing, and Bookbinding

  Hiroko Sakurai | Fiber/Paper Arts | 2-Day Workshop | All levels welcome

  
  

  Hawaiʻi Craftsmen brings you this workshop in partnership with

  Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

  
  

  Paper is one of the oldest and most versatile materials in art — and in this workshop, Honolulu artist and conservator Hiroko Sakurai reveals just how alive and expressive it can be. The secret is washi — traditional handmade Japanese kozo paper whose long, strong fibers make it uniquely versatile. Thin yet remarkably strong, kozo paper can be wetted, folded, squeezed, and dyed like fabric, and its natural acid-free properties make it ideal for preservation and mounting. Every step of this workshop flows from these remarkable qualities.

  
  

  Day one is a full day of multiple complementary processes. In the morning, participants learn itajime and origami dyeing — folding, clamping, and dipping the kozo paper (or fabric) in dye or watercolor to create striking, unpredictable patterns. In the afternoon, participants learn urauchi — a traditional Japanese paper-backing technique used by conservators worldwide — applying the backed washi and fabric from the morning session to preserve and give body to their work. Day two will cover bookbinding, where participants use their backed, decorated washi as covers to sew together a finished handmade book or notebook.

  
  

  WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

  • The unique properties of handmade Japanese kozo paper and why they matter

  • Itajime and origami dyeing to create patterned washi and fabric

  • Urauchi paper backing — a traditional conservation technique for preserving and mounting delicate works

  • Simple bookbinding — sewing your decorated washi into a finished handmade book

  Participants leave with dyed papers, backed works, and a finished handmade book — and a set of skills that open new possibilities for any craft practice. All levels welcome; no prior experience required.

  
  

  We encourage you to attend the artist talk and reception on Friday, November 20, at 5 pm to learn more about Hiroko's work and meet other artists taking the workshop.

  
  

  MAUI WORKSHOP DETAILS

  Workshop Dates

  Saturday-Sunday, November 21-22, 2026

  9 AM - 5 PM

  Workshop Location
  

  Maui Arts & Cultural Center
  1 Cameron Way
  Kahului, Hawaiʻi 96732

  Tuition Costs

  • Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Member $300
  • Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Student Member: $150
  • Nonmembers: $400

  
  

  Materials Fee

  $25, payable to Hawaiʻi Craftsmen or the teaching artist on the first day

  Last Day to Register: November 13, 2026

  Scholarship Application Due: November 13, 2026

  
  

  APPLY FOR ʻAHA HANA LIMA SCHOLARSHIPS HERE 

  
  

  If you do not live on Maui and would like to take this workshop, please list your name and email address on this wait list here. We will open the workshop to non-Maui residents 10 days before registration closes.

  
  

  Please reach out to ʻAha Hana Lima Chair via email (AhaAdmin@hawaiicraftsmen.org) if you have any questions.

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