A new mission for an old paper shop
Amid the crowds and beautiful shops of Chang’an East Road, the entrance to Fenko is so low key that one could easily pass it by without a second thought. But upon opening the door, one is pleasantly surprised by what one encounters.
Hanging from the ceiling is an art installation that resembles clouds, made up of resilient synthetic fibers. A perfect combination of paper-making technique and art, this representative work clearly conveys the aspirations of the new space.
The architect Hung Hao-chun oversaw the building’s transformation from its former incarnation as a paper shop. Wooden decorative panels were pulled out to reveal the building’s mottled brick walls. On the left side is a paper cabinet inherited from the old shop, and along the exposed brick walls there is a grid made from metal bars only six millimeters square, which is matched with metal shelves and panels used to display objects. Easily rearranged, the shelving is convenient for displays and exhibitions. And the 36 types of paper that CNJ Paper produces for its own paper brands and imports from overseas companies are all on display here.
Yet Fenko’s collection goes far beyond these. Labor-intensive handmade paper, out-of-production papers, papers over 30 years old… Lino Lee opens up the paper cabinet and carefully shows us these rarely seen items, which have been passed down in her family and aren’t for sale.
Though she is quite young, her voice conveys a strong sense of nostalgia when she talks about these papers. She teaches us how to distinguish between machine-made and handmade paper: Unlike the uniformity of machine-made paper, handmade paper has rough feathered edges, and the bamboo screen used in the manufacturing process leaves a faint pattern like a watermark. What’s more, the process relies on workers shaking the pulp right and left and back and forth on the frames, resulting in each sheet having distinctly different textures.
Paper that can’t be mass produced resembles a secret diary, recording the mood and situation of the paper maker on the day of creation. In Lee’s view, paper isn’t merely functional; it’s “also quite sensual.”
Incorporating turmeric and bay leaves, Fenko’s eye-catching “Turmeric Paper” features passages of poetry in gilded type. Southeast-Asian immigrants use these as greeting cards to wish each other well. (courtesy of Fenko Catalysis Chamber)