Joanna Gair

Paper Talk

Joanna Gair is a multifaceted visual artist and papermaker, living and working in Devonport, Northwest Tasmania. After graduating with a first-class degree in Visual Art from the South Australian School of Art, in 1993, she established her studio in North-west Scotland in 1999, since then, she has blended her skills as a visual artist with the ancient craft of papermaking, forging a career marked by creativity, innovation, and sustainability. In 2004, Joanna made a pivotal transition to North-west Tasmania, assuming the roles of manager and creative director at Australia's largest handmade paper mill in Burnie. Here, she embarked on a mission to encapsulate the Tasmanian essence through papermaking. Her efforts garnered significant recognition, including the "Premier's Young Achiever Award" from Tourism Tasmania in 2006 and the "Best New Retail Product" at the National Memento Awards in 2007. Since then, Joanna has been the driving force behind her eponymous paper mill, "Joanna Gair Paper," and the launch of the "Eco Greetings" range. Here, she crafts paper-based artworks and design-focused, Tasmanian plant-based paper for a portfolio of environmentally conscious corporate and wholesale clients, collectors, and artists.