3form expands their Nepalese artisan collaboration with a new design in their flagship material Varia. Introducing Tulsi: a textured, winding material made entirely from Nepalese lokta paper and carefully hand-laid and made to order in Salt Lake City. Collaboratively designed with Himalayan artisans, Tulsi reimagines the local paper-making process to create an intricate, organic material encapsulated between 3form’s signature Varia panels. This collection also celebrates 3form’s decade-long relationship with Nepalese craftspeople and marks the ninth collaboration between the international partners.
“We love this rigorous design process that results in something special and unachievable anywhere else in the world,” says 3form’s VP of Design, Christian Darby. “This product puts a spotlight on different parts of the world and longstanding artistic skill sets that have developed over centuries.”
Lokta paper is an indigenous Nepalese handmade paper dating back thousands of years. Made with the fibrous back of high elevation lokta bushes, the plant is ground into a pulp and screen-dried into opaque, durable sheets. 3form, an expert in translucency, was fascinated by the lokta paper’s texture but wanted to permit more visibility. After rounds of trial and error, the duo found that piping the lokta pulp across the screen with irregular gaps resulted in a unique, translucent spiral-like design.
When paired with 3form’s tranquil 2022 Color Collection, the lokta interlayer takes on the personality of each colorway, allowing designers to make Tulsi their own in any hospitality, healthcare, corporate, or educational environment. Tulsi’s Varia material is available in 4’x8’ and 4’x10’ panels, with 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", and 1" gauges and a two-week lead time.