●  Plant Fibres

Research is an important focus of Nirupama Academy. Papermakers are constantly in search of interesting new raw materials and our Academy does intense research in this area. Papers made from different plant fibres have distinctive features, differentiated by their colour, texture, tactile quality, strength and applicability. The transformation of plant parts - for example a banana stem or ladies finger bark or pineapple leaf or fig bark - into a finished piece of paper is a fascinating process. Our current research work involves exploring the characteristics of these different indigenous plant fibres to create a variety of papers. In addition to the above mentioned plant parts, we are also investigating the properties of traditional raw materials like jute, bamboo and sugarcane to introduce innovations.

●  Artist’s Book

One of our major interests at Nirupama Academy lies in developing Limited Edition Artist’s Books. We are experimenting with various bookbinding techniques including multi-section books, accordion, Japanese bookbinding and other variations.

●  Natural / Vegetable Dyes

India has a long tradition of dyeing using natural pigments. While natural or vegetable dyes are usually applied on fabric, we at Nirupama Academy are attempting to extend its application on pulp while maintaining the basic principles of dyeing technique. Our research in this area has proven to be promising and we are continuing our investigations further.