The word "washi" comes from Wa meaning 'Japanese' and shi meaning 'paper'. The term is used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner. The central figure in this composition comes from a photograph of a 3 dimensional Washi Doll, which is to say a japanese doll constructed from paper. She holds an imperial posture and demeanor, even as she stands alone in desolation. Within her realm a red capped mushroom emerges from the otherwise lifeless red dirt planet, a symbol of the mycelium, whose network of aliveness is both ubiquitous and largely invisible. The peasants drying sorting grain behind her represent the advent of technology, the outer limits of whose expression remain to be seen.