Gen Taniguchi was born in Saga, Japan in 1990. After graduating from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Sociology at Kansai University, he worked in the fashion industry before succeeding his family business as the seventh-generation papermaker of Nao Handmade Paper, a washi workshop with over 300 years of history dating back to the Edo period. While preserving tradition, he continues to develop his practice as both a craftsman and an artist.
Taniguchi views washi as a medium free from intention or imposition—one that receives the phenomena of the world as they are. Guided by the theme of how to express the “immaterial beauty” inherent in the natural, flexible qualities of washi, he explores the intersection of traditional papermaking with diverse techniques and materials.
His work spans product development as well as experimental three-dimensional and two-dimensional pieces, and he actively presents his work through exhibitions in Japan and abroad, group shows, and collaborations with companies.
project : Capillary Drift
