What do you see, what do you feel, when you think of the color Blue? Across cultures, blue has complex, often contradictory meanings. It is associated with the vastness of sky and sea, with tranquility and calmness in one moment or deep melancholy in another. The color blue symbolizes divinity and purity, but can also express cruelty and coldness. This special issue — our 40th-anniversary issue — explores the history and contemporary practice of making and using blue handmade paper, featuring artists, papermakers, writers, and researchers whose work celebrates the depth, beauty, and material richness of blue.

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