Handmade paper is a common material for Jemison. From drawings to paintings to paper bags, the medium has been present throughout the majority of the artist’s career. Jemison began to work with paper in the early 1980's while living in New York City. In comparison to other materials, paper was an affordable and time-effective surface, granting the artist to experiment and master its construction.

Crystalline, 2004, is a continuation of the Seneca artist's long lasting relationship with handmade paper. As the 2000s experienced its first wave of a digital era, Jemison began to work more with naturalism. With his heightened sense of orenda, or the Haudenosaunee belief that every living thing contains a spiritual presence, he combined handmade paper with organic subject matter to call upon issues of environmentalism.

G. Peter Jemison