In my home country of Japan, washi, handmade Japanese paper, is used in the crafting of many different objects including furniture, toys and ornaments. As a result, paper has had a strong connexion with the Japanese way of life for centuries. Its character is naturalistic, with an organic tactility, and washi evokes forms from the natural world, such as flowers and leaves. Contrastingly, it also lends itself to the simple geometries of childhood.

Since moving to Edinburgh, I have been combining paper with different kinds of materials, notably precious metal and thread, in my contemporary jewellery. I roll, bend and twist washi, which forms the centre-point of my work, and use other materials, such as silver, to contain and support the paper elements. In some pieces, washi is left unadorned to emphasise its texture; in others, layers of ink are applied to explore the interplay between form and colour.