Anna Pagès Jaén

My name is Anna Pagès Jaén, I am 30 years old (25/02/1995) and I live in Banyoles (Spain). 

Since February 2024, I have been working at Sastres Paperers, a company that produces high-quality handmade paper for fine arts from plant fibers and textile waste, in addition to promoting the papermaking trade. I’m passionate about the idea of working in an artisanal trade, making a product that’s unique throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Paper mills are a tradition in this region of Catalunya yet most of them have disappeared, that’s why what we do is unique and must be known as much as possible. 

I consider myself a very open and motivated person. Almost all my life, I’ve been active in one way or another, and over the years I gained a lot of experience in different areas; from being an elite athlete to public-face work or, like nowadays, being a paper artisan.

What excites me most is all the opportunities that life can give me, and never stop learning and trying new things. 

I’m currently working at an artisanal paper making company, called Sastres Paperers. It is a project dedicated to the production of high quality paper for fine arts, and we also put our mastery of the craft at the service of artists to develop their artistic projects. I have been part of this project since the beginning of 2024.

This is how my apprenticeship began, learning about papermaking, the fibers, the details of the craft… I’ve learned to value it every day more, which has led me to believe that it should be preserved for as long as possible. 

Over the 40 years of the company, many artists, of all techniques and levels, professionals and amateurs, have repeatedly trusted us with their works.

What I like the most, is making big formats of paper, from 80×125 cm  to 130x170cm paper sheets. It’s a four handed work, very physical but with amazing and beautiful results. It is a good sensation when at the end of the day, you realize that you’ve been working as a team with your artisan master.