Pulp Fission

纤有念

What is your relationship with paper?

纸是通过什么方式,在你的生活中出现的?

Flipping old books, hearing the crisp of each page

翻一页纸,听脆鸣

Grandma's treat, folded just so

外婆包好的甜点

A note, handed to a special someone

一张字条,递给特别的她

Paper cranes on a slow afternoon

夏日午后,折过的纸鹤

A childish doodle, hidden on the last page

藏在书最后面的涂鸦

scroll向下

Rediscovering our connection

重新探索我们和纸之间的连接

Motor Flywheel V-belt Drum housing转鼓外壳 Trough水槽

Hollander beater — side profile

荷兰打浆机 — 侧面视图

荷兰打浆机Hollander beater Before — thick fibres打浆前 — 粗纤维 After — split, same length打浆后 — 分丝,等长 Fibres pass between drum teeth and bedplate — split lengthwise, not cut纤维在转鼓齿片与底刀之间被纵向撕裂分丝,而非切断 Cross-section view横截面视图

Genesis

起源

2015–2016 — The Observation

2015–2016 — 起点

I didn't set out to become a paper-maker. I just don't like seeing things go to waste. Seeing the husks at a sugarcane stall, orange peels, vegetable scraps — mountains of usable fibre grown from the energy of the sun, all destined for the incinerator — it felt like a pity.

我并没有从小立志造纸。只是不喜欢看到东西被浪费。果汁摊的蔗渣、橙皮、菜叶——这些好不容易靠阳光长出来的纤维,最后都送进了焚化炉,总觉可惜。

2016 — Taiwan

2016 — 台湾

A visit to a paper factory in Puli (埔里), Taiwan shed light on the yet-unknown path that I would take. Garlic skins, watermelon rinds, vegetable scraps — they could all be pulped and reformed into sheets of paper. New possibilities opened before my eyes.

在台湾埔里的一家纸寮,我看到了一条未曾想过的路。蒜皮、西瓜皮、菜叶——都可以打成浆,重新变成纸。一个新的想法由此萌生。

Papermaking artisan in Puli
Traditional papermaking in Puli
埔里传统造纸
Plant fibre pulp
Plant fibre ready for pulping
待打浆的植物纤维

The Search for a Hollander Beater

寻找荷兰打浆机

Industrial setups are built for scale — the opposite of studio paper. After months on obscure forums, I found Mark Lander in New Zealand, who builds small-scale Hollander beaters by hand. ~$3,000 USD plus shipping. A real commitment for an idea still taking shape.

工业设备追求规模和一致性——恰恰与手工纸相反。花了好几个月终于找到新西兰的Mark Lander,他手工制造小型荷兰打浆机。花了约三千美元加运费——对于一个尚在成形的想法来说,是不小的投入。

Blade mechanism
Blade mechanism
刀片机构
Parts for assembly
Parts for assembly
等待组装的零件

Localisation in Hong Kong

在香港的本地化

The beater finally arrived — but I still needed a motor, the right plug, and proper wiring. As a deskbound lawyer, not an electrician, I bought insulating boots, gloves, and voltage test pens. Fear of electrocution is a great motivator.

打浆机终于到了,但还需要电机、插头和接线。作为律师而非电工,出于对触电的恐惧——我买了绝缘靴、手套和验电笔。

Motor
The motor
电机
Wiring internals
Wiring internals
电机接线

First Experiments

初次实验

Shredded paper and old rags into the beater. Two to three days of running it straight, dealing with leaks. All of this in a tiny <20 sqm Hong Kong flat by the way, while trying not to disturb the neighbours. It was messy, unpredictable and quite an absorbing process. I was getting somewhere.

初次运作,碎纸和旧布扔进打浆机。连续运转两三天,还得处理漏水。一切都在我那个不到二十平米的香港公寓里进行,还得尽量不打扰邻居。过程凌乱、不可预测,却让人沉浸其中。开始有些眉目了。

Assembled beater
The assembled beater
组装好的打浆机

Parallel Research

同步研究

Meanwhile, I'd found an expired US patent by a Korean inventor who had mixed citrus peel with mulberry fibre to create resistant traditional Korean paper. This led me deeper into the underlying chemistry — cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and why paper yellows over time.

与此同时,我发现了一项由韩国发明者申请的过期专利,将柑橘皮与桑皮纤维混合,制成耐久的传统韩纸。我开始研究造纸背后的化学——纤维素、半纤维素以及木质素的性质和功能、纸张为何会随着时间发黄等一系列现象。

2025 — Japan

2025 — 日本

To continue my research, I travelled to Hinodewashi (日の出和紙), a traditional washi studio in western Tokyo. Learning kozo papermaking from artisans, I realised this wasn't just recycling — the meditative rhythm of the process has its own value.

之后我也去了东京西部的日の出和紙(Hinodewashi),一间传统和纸工坊。跟着匠人学习楮皮造纸,让我意识到这不仅仅是回收利用——造纸过程中那种冥想般的静谧,本身就很疗愈。

Hinodewashi workshop
Hinodewashi workshop, western Tokyo
东京西部的日の出和紙工坊
Coloured pulp on mould
Coloured pulp
彩色纸浆
Kozo bark
Kozo bark
楮树皮
Mould over vat
Mould over vat
纸模与浆槽

2026 — Dali, Yunnan

2026 — 大理,云南

Finally moved to "south of the rainbow" — Dali's dry climate, the 4,000m Cang mountains, Bai villages around Er Hai lake, Aegean-blue skies. The perfect place to continue.

终于搬到"彩云之南"。宜人的干燥气候,苍山在远处陪伴,白族村落环绕洱海。继续造纸之旅的最佳地方。

Dali, Yunnan landscape
Dali, Yunnan — south of the rainbow
大理,云南 — 彩云之南
天工开物
天工开物
天工开物

天工开物 (1637) — papermaking as documented by Song Yingxing

天工开物(1637)—— 宋应星所记载的造纸术

What Paper Can Become

纸的千变万化

From raw fibre to living art

从原始纤维到鲜活的艺术

Paper light sculpture
Paper light sculpture纸光雕塑
Suminagashi marbled paper
Suminagashi 墨流し水影画
Blue pulp on mould with coloured inks
Bespoke ingredients, colour and patterns定制配料、色彩和纹理
Coloured handmade paper sheet
Each sheet one of a kind每一张都独一无二
Rakusuishi paper formed in rain
落水紙 — paper formed in rain落水紙 — 雨中成形
Wet-fold origami sculpture
Wet-fold origami湿折纸艺术
Handmade paper stationery with mizuhiki
Handmade stationery手工纸文具

Lanterns · Origami · Calligraphy paper · Kites · Gift wrapping · Seed paper · Akari lamps · Wet-fold sculpture · Tea packaging

灯笼 · 折纸 · 书法纸 · 风筝 · 礼品包装 · 种子纸 · Akari纸灯 · 湿折雕塑 · 茶饼包装

Raw Materials

原料

Sugarcane bagasse

甘蔗渣

甘蔗渣

Short, uniform fibres — suited to packaging paper and seed paper

短而均匀的纤维——适合包装纸和种子纸

Banana stems

香蕉茎

香蕉茎

Extremely long, strong fibres — ideal for high-strength paper, kites, and wet-fold origami

极长而坚韧的纤维——适合高强度纸张、风筝和湿折纸

Bamboo

竹子

竹子

Fine, smooth fibres — the classical material for calligraphy paper and lanterns

细腻光滑的纤维——书法纸和灯笼的经典材料

Tobacco stalks

烟草秆

烟草秆

~40% cellulose with natural insect-resistant properties

约40%纤维素,天然防虫

Corn husks

玉米皮

玉米皮

Soft fibres producing clean white paper — good for stationery and crafts

柔软纤维制成洁白纸张——适合文具和手工

Pu'er tea waste

普洱茶废料

普洱茶废料

Short fibres that create a speckled texture with a faint tea fragrance

短纤维带来斑驳质感和淡淡茶香

Hemp bast fibre

大麻

大麻

70–75% cellulose — strong enough for archival-grade paper

70-75%纤维素——强度足以制作档案级纸张

Citrus peels

柑橘皮

柑橘皮

Rich in pectin, producing warm yellow translucent paper

富含果胶,制成温暖的淡黄色半透明纸

Mulberry / kozo

桑树皮

桑树皮

Traditional washi fibre — what they use at Hinodewashi

传统和纸纤维——日の出和紙使用的原料

Orange peels, garlic skins, watermelon rinds

橙皮、蒜皮、西瓜皮

橙皮、蒜皮、西瓜皮

Where it all began — the original hawker centre observation

一切的起点——最初在小贩中心的观察

This list is not exhaustive. Part of the project is discovery.

此清单并不完整——发现本身就是这个项目的一部分。

What comes next

后续

Collaborating with 非遗 Masters

与非遗传承人合作

I want to learn from people who have been doing this for centuries — not to replicate what they do, but to see what happens when a Hollander beater enters that conversation.

向老匠人们学习——不是为了复制他们的方法,而是想看看再生纸和荷兰打浆机加入这场对话后,会发生什么火花。

Dongba paper in Lijiang — naturally toxin-resistant, lasting centuries. Dai paper in Xishuangbanna — 600+ years of mulberry bark tradition. Mengding's Mangtuan paper — eleven processes, national intangible heritage.

丽江东巴纸——天然抗虫,可保存数百年。西双版纳傣纸——六百多年桑皮传统。勐定芒团纸——十一道工序,国家级非遗。

Traditional papermaking
Traditional papermaking — centuries of quiet expertise
传统造纸 — 数百年的沉静技艺

Connecting with Dali — Tie-Dyeing and Local Fibres

连接大理 — 结合扎染和在地纤维

Dali's indigo tie-dye (扎染) tradition is a living art. Incorporating those deep indigo colours into recycled paper — a fusion of two craft traditions, one ancient, one still finding its feet. What grows here can become paper here.

大理的靛蓝扎染是一门活的艺术。将深邃的蓝融入再生纸——促成两种手工的交汇。

Dali tie-dye
Dali's indigo tie-dye — a tradition waiting to meet paper
大理扎染 — 等待与纸相遇的传统

Suminagashi 墨流し

水影画 墨流し

Floating ink on water — each pattern entirely unrepeatable. Exploring what happens when East Asian ink meets recycled fibre.

墨汁浮于水面——每一幅都不可复制。探索东亚墨水与再生纤维相遇的可能。

Suminagashi
Suminagashi — floating ink on water
水影画 — 墨浮于水

Limited-Edition Packaging for High-End Brands

高端品牌限量包装

There's precedent — Valentyn Frechka's Releaf Paper extracts cellulose from fallen leaves, now supplying L'Oréal and Chanel. Bespoke wrapping paper, each sheet traceable to specific waste materials.

已有先例——Valentyn Frechka的Releaf Paper从落叶中提取纤维素,现为欧莱雅和香奈儿供货。定制包装纸,每张都可追溯到具体原料。

Luxury packaging
Each sheet different, each sheet traceable
每一张都不同,每一张都可追溯

On-Site Education and Outreach

在地教育与推广

There is a particular peace in making paper by hand. The repetition, the water, the slow emergence of a sheet from loose fibre. I want to share that.

手工造纸有一种特别的宁静。反复的动作、水声、一张纸从松散的纤维中慢慢成形。打地三千,沥底见莲。我想分享这种体验。

Rakusuishi (落水紙) — paper formed during rainfall. Rain creates unrepeatable patterns in the wet sheet. Participants take home a record of that exact moment. No two sheets are alike. Schools, wellness retreats, cultural institutions — and DIY papermaking kits for anyone who wants to try at home.

落水紙——在雨中成形的纸。雨滴在湿纸上留下不可复制的图案。参与的朋友带走的是那个瞬间的记录。

落水紙 rakusuishi
落水紙 — rakusuishi
落水紙 — 雨中纸
Hinodewashi garden
Hinodewashi garden
日の出和紙的庭院

Research & Readings

研究与阅读

A living collection

持续更新的收藏

Paper Comprising Fibre of Citrus Peel

US 2009/0260768 A1 · 2009

Patent describing a method for producing paper incorporating citrus peel fibre, combining it with traditional pulp for enhanced texture and properties.

描述一种将柑橘皮纤维融入造纸工艺的方法,与传统纸浆结合以提升质感和性能的专利。

Hemp Paper Packaging Material for Foodstuff

US 12553184 B2 · 2026

A hemp-based paper packaging material designed specifically for food contact, leveraging the high cellulose content of hemp bast fibre.

一种专为食品接触设计的大麻纸包装材料,利用大麻韧皮纤维的高纤维素含量。

Releaf Paper: Cellulose from Urban Leaves

EPO Young Inventors Prize · 2024

Valentyn Frechka's process for extracting cellulose from fallen urban leaves, now supplying luxury brands. Won 2nd place at the EPO Young Inventors Prize 2024.

Valentyn Frechka从城市落叶中提取纤维素的工艺,现已为奢侈品牌供货。获2024年欧洲专利局青年发明家奖第二名。

Functional Paper Using Coffee Grounds

WO 2014081093 A1 · 2014

International patent for producing functional paper incorporating coffee ground residues, exploring deodorising and antibacterial properties.

利用咖啡渣生产功能性纸张的国际专利,探索除臭和抗菌特性。

Paper Yarn, Paper Cloth and Fabric Products

US 11390970 B2 · 2022

Patent covering the production of yarn and woven textiles derived from paper pulp, bridging papermaking and textile craft.

涵盖从纸浆衍生纱线和纺织品生产的专利,连接造纸与纺织工艺。

Handmade Paper from Agricultural Residues

IN 202111047580 · 2021

Indian patent application detailing processes for converting agricultural waste — including rice straw and cotton stalks — into handmade paper products.

印度专利申请,详述将农业废弃物——包括稻草和棉秆——转化为手工纸产品的工艺。