“In Japan, it is believed that every object created by human hands with both care and attention, is provided with soul.”

Papiru Lab is entirely a woman’s project started in 2012 in Cagliari, Sardinia. The creative brain is a sparkling woman who loves to travel, experience, and create.

“My name is Eliana. I was born on an island, a land of fascinating ancient beauty which at times severe and silent. I am a wife and a mother, a few months ago a small bundle has brought a wind of freshness and energy into our lives!

I love to breathe beauty around me, the beauty of the little things that can make special a day… the sea in winter, the smell of log fires, the first smile that my baby gives me every morning to say hello, the blue color of the sea, the contact with the water that creates and gives life, the sweet smell of a freshly baked cake or of the old typewriters.”

How was PAPIRU LAB born and what is special about it?

PAPIRU LAB was born as a “laboratory experiments on paper”, followed by the discovery and love at first sight of the Washi, a special handmade paper that comes from Japan. Discovered by chance, in one of the oldest stationery shops in Amsterdam, it has been a source of inspiration to kick off this project.

How do you always find new ideas and inspirations?

Behind PAPIRU LAB there are scissors, glue, rolls and rolls of paper that come from many different countries, desire and curiosity to experiment with new techniques, different combinations and a lot of colors. Inspiration and new ideas come a bit by chance… there are days when I find myself in front of a piece of paper and the idea comes by itself. It’s not possible to not get inspired from what a piece of paper wants to tell me, from any kind whatsoever, any kind of trip it has faced to get to me. 

What is your philosophy? Where does this passion come from?

I like to think that my laboratory is an opportunity to meet and exchange, a meeting place for curious people who want to peek through ideas of paper and tell others about themselves in front of a cup of tea!

What is the relationship between your creations and nature ?

My project aims to give a new life to the paper and sensitize the younger generation to recycling and respecting the environment. In my creations I melt the recycled paper in my land, Sardinia, with other types of decorative papers that bring with themselves a wealth of rich stories, of master papermakers, and tell about different places and cultures.

What do people think about this peculiar passion?

Each creation is unique as the project that has accompanied it. I enjoy meeting people who say they have never seen such a beautiful paper. Many of us think, mistakenly, that all paper produced in Asia is made of rice. The Washi is actually produced with the fiber of various plants and shrubs, but not with the rice!

What message do you want share through the beauty and elegance of your creations?

To find the time to devote ourselves to what makes us feel good, it makes our lives more beautiful and interesting. To find refuge in colors and things we love to do lightens up everything, and it is good to be thrown into new ideas by using imagination, it is awesome to see the world in a different way!

I believe that in this time of economic and occupational difficulty, to invest in ourselves by rediscovering handmade materials is a real opportunity to make a change in our lives.

I want to leave you with a mindset saying that “In Japan, it is believed that every object created by human hands with both care and attention, is provided with soul.”

Eliana M.

Visit PAPIRU LAB here: FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Watch the beautiful photos of Eliana here: ICONOSQUARE and WEBSTA

Donatella