Japanese Paper Marbling Workshop ( 墨流し Suminagashi )

Workshop | Suminagashi (Japanese Paper Marbling) Discover the ancient art of Suminagashi—“floating ink”—by creating elegant, one-of-a-kind marble patterns on water. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to guide pigment rings across the water’s surface before transferring their design onto absorbent Japanese paper. Join us to explore this meditative practice that celebrates chance, breath, and the beauty of flowing color.

This workshop is brought to you by the Heritage Museum of Asian Art in collaboration with the Japanese Culture Center.

Artist Bio | Pamela Martinez Pamela Martinez has over 20 years of experience teaching and practicing the traditional art of paper marbling and is a member of the Sumi-E Society. Guided by the spiritual nature of the practice, Pamela emphasizes self-expression, imagination, and the joy of unpredictable results. She also creates contemporary and traditional acrylic marbled designs, and her work has been featured in exhibitions including the Sumi-E Society group show at Heller Nature Center and at the Evanston Art Center, where she received a 1st Place Blue Ribbon Award. She has demonstrated marbling as part of Silk Road Chicago with the Chicago Department of Tourism and at the Chicago Book & Paper Fair.