History lessons taught by paper
- For Aušra, marbling is a way to get in touch with the past and history
- Her French Shell piece is featured in one of Lithuania’s most beautiful books of 2020
- Her work involves the recreation of historic paper patterns
Through her paper marbling, Aušra Lazauskienė preserves an endangered, centuries-old craft. “My grandmother was a town photographer in Western Lithuania. My work today strongly resembles her photo development process back then,” she says. “Both practices include large containers filled with water and paper, from which an image emerges.” Yet, Aušra came to the craft out of curiosity, after witnessing the marbling process, which has now become a major part of her life. "I was drawn by the process. My amateur experiments paved the way to my studies," she says. Aušra learned the craft from the few remaining masters of paper marbling in Türkiye and the USA. Today, still enchanted by the marbling process, she recreates historical patterns found in old books, working with the same technologies and materials once used during the craft’s golden age in the 17th, 18th and19th centuries. “Everything in paper marbling is connected to time, history and preservation,” Aušra says.
Interview
- Is paper marbling an endangered craft?
- Yes. No schools teach this craft, and only a handful of masters in different countries practise it. There is very little literature on paper marbling, and very few people looking to learn about it.
- What does your creative process look like?
- I carefully prepare the materials and colours to control the process. There is no room for improvisation or chance if I am recreating an old pattern, which is why a whole day could pass before I achieve what I set out to do. Everything must be executed flawlessly.
- Which aspect of the craft is the most difficult?
- Hand control, focus and consistency are crucial, as is preparing the paints. When recreating historical patterns, it is very difficult to achieve the exact colours that were originally used. However, the toughest aspect is the fact that there is no one to learn the craft from in Lithuania or neighbouring countries.
- What brings you the most joy in your practice?
- Paper marbling has opened doors to an entirely different world. I have joined a community that enriches me greatly. By deepening my knowledge of the craft, I immerse myself in different eras. This allows me to understand what decisions were made in the past and why, which I find incredibly fascinating.
Aušra Lazauskienė is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2011
Works
Where
Aušra Lazauskienė
