Abaca is a banana plant fiber. When highly beaten it results in a pulp that makes translucent paper. I have beaten abaca for 4hrs, 8hrs as well as 20 hrs. It is very tricky to couch a 20hr beaten abaca because it drains extremely slowly. If it is left too long to drain then it won’t release from the mould and if its not drained enough then the pulp will slip out easily from the mould. With practice and patience it becomes easier to couch a 20hr beaten abaca.
These sculptures are made with abaca beaten in hollander beater for 8hrs. When the pulp is highly beaten it results in high shrinkage and works best for making sculptures.
