Promotion: an exhibition during this year's Maison&Objet furniture fair in Paris is set to demonstrate the continued relevance of Hanji, a thousand-year-old Korean papermaking technique.
Located within the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, the exhibition aims to demonstrate contemporary potential uses for Hanji, Korea's traditional handmade paper.

Hanji is primarily made from the inner bark fibres of the paper mulberry tree, gathered and processed using time-honoured techniques.

The harvested lengthy fibres are formed into a dense web, resulting in durable, breathable and humidity-regulating paper, which has a distinctive texture and faint translucency.

Traditionally, the paper is written and painted on, as well as used for window treatments and as flooring.

Hanji now has broader uses, from applications in cultural heritage conservation to the making of furnishings, lighting design and lifestyle products.

These applications are demonstrated during the aptly named Hanji House exhibition during Maison&Objet 2026 – curated by The Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) – through the work of seven Korean companies specialising in Hanji.

"Hanji House is conceived as a showroom where visitors can experience Hanji's soft diffusion of light and responsiveness to airflow," said The Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF).

"The exhibition presents Hanji not simply as paper, but as a contemporary material that can shape and define space."

Korean industrial design studio SWNA will present four furniture and lighting works exploring Hanji's adaptability, wherein the paper is combined with rigid materials, including metal and stone.

These works set out to demonstrate Hanji's potential in the contexts of contemporary furniture and spatial design, including a partition which doubles as lighting, and a cabinet and lighting pieces made up of graceful curves.

Alongside SWNA, Korean companies Hanji Park Materials Lab, Fides International Co., Toolpress, Somidang, Marquage G, Curated Columns and Pulbat will also present select works.

These range from traditional handmade Hanji and conservation paper to crafts, stationery, interior objects, fragrance products and lighting.

Hanji House takes place ahead of UNESCO's decision regarding whether to inscribe "traditional knowledge and skills associated with the production of Hanji and related cultural practices in the Republic of Korea" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This decision is expected to be reached later this year.

"Hanji embodies centuries of craftsmanship and traditional papermaking knowledge while offering the sustainability and versatility sought by today's design industry," said Kyungbae Kim, president of KCDF.

"In this meaningful year marking the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations and with UNESCO's decision approaching, we hope to share the beauty and contemporary potential of Hanji with the world and create greater opportunities for businesses rooted in Korean traditional culture to expand internationally."

The Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF) is a public institution under the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).

It will be on show in the Signature gallery of Hall 7 in the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition centre as part of Maison&Objet 2026 from 10 to 14 September.

For more information, visit the Maison&Objet website.

Maison&Objet 2026 takes place from 10 to 14 September at Paris-Nord Villepinte Parc des Expositions, France. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for KCDF as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.