Shibori on Paper Workshops   

Shibori on Paper Workshop at the Paper Biennale - Transition 

In 2022, Valentin Bakardjiev's captivating installation "The Cube Universe" was featured at the Paper Biennale - Transition exhibition held at the Museum Rijswijk in the Netherlands. Alongside his artwork, Valentin offered a unique workshop where participants learned the art of Shibori on Paper.

Shibori: A Time-Honored Technique

Shibori is a beautiful and versatile technique that involves folding, clamping, stitching, and dyeing fabric to create stunning resist patterns. Valentin's workshop showcased how this technique can be effectively adapted for paper, allowing you to create captivating designs with vibrant inks.

A Resounding Success

The Shibori on Paper workshop at the Paper Biennale proved to be a huge hit. Over 50 enthusiastic participants from across Europe joined Valentin to explore this fascinating technique. Under his expert guidance, they learned various Shibori methods and created their own one-of-a-kind artwork.



Shibori on Paper Workshop: during the WATER UNDER FIRE exhibition - 2024
 

This workshop, led by renowned artist Valentin Bakardjiev, offered participants a unique opportunity to explore the traditional Japanese technique of Shibori, adapted for paper creation.

A Vibrant Exploration

Under Valentin's expert guidance, participants learned various Shibori methods, transforming paper into stunning works of art using vibrant inks. The workshop's setting, the beautiful garden of Kunsthandel P. de Boer, provided a delightful and inspiring atmosphere.

Part of a Larger Story

This Shibori on Paper workshop was a highlight of the "Water under Fire" exhibition, which explored the interplay between water and art across eras. The workshop also enjoyed recognition by being featured in the prestigious Art on Paper Amsterdam fair program.






Tradition for the Future Workshop: Crafting Beauty from Brokenness, during the Resurrection exhibition -2024




In the Tradition for the Futureworkshop, we celebrate the beauty of the broken and discover how reimagining fragments can create something even more meaningful. Inspired by the iconic Delftware porcelain, we work with printed patterns, carefully cutting and arranging them into new, personal compositions. Each broken piece is transformed, becoming part of a vibrant, harmonious mosaic—a reminder that what once seemed flawed or lost has a unique potential to become something extraordinary.

Through this creative process, participants are encouraged to view imperfections differently. Just as these broken porcelain pieces represent past crafts and traditions, they also symbolize moments in our lives that feel fractured. Here, we learn that every piece, no matter how small or imperfect, has its place in a bigger story. By positioning and gluing these fragments together, participants can explore new ways of seeing and adapting to the challenges in their own lives, embracing the idea that even “broken” things carry beauty and meaning.

This workshop highlights sustainability in art, showing that a piece made with a “defect” doesn’t lose its worth; instead, it becomes special and irreplaceable. By using and reimagining materials, we celebrate the value of the imperfect and the unique—recognizing that discarded pieces can be repurposed and reborn into something beautiful.

Through Tradition for the Future, participants gain not just a deeper appreciation for traditional crafts but also for the resilience in each of us. This workshop is a creative, hands-on way to reflect on how we, too, can reposition life’s fragments into a brighter, unified future. Come join us to experience the art of transformation, where every broken piece finds new purpose and every flaw becomes a feature.