The Oddities of Marbling Garden, 2022

Marbled papers have decorated manuscripts and books throughout the history of bookmaking. Marbling—a plant-based printing technique that originated in late medieval Iran—uses natural pigments, solution, and oil. As a printmaker, I see this ancient method as a new “territory” for exploring nature through historical, medicinal, and cultural lenses.

In creating my prints, I treat marbling patterns as fluid and unconventional, allowing space for additional visual elements. These works combine hand-printed marbling with hand-drawn saffron crocus flowers, inspired by botanical illustrations in 17th-century books from the UCSF Library archives. The marbling evokes a fragmented landscape, layered with crocus motifs that speak to both healing nature and cultural identity.