ancient korean hanji paper transformed into sustainable biomaterials at maison&objet 2026

HOW KOREAN DESIGNERS ARE RESHAPING 1,000-YEAR-OLD HANJI PAPER

For Paris Design Week 2026, running from September 10 to 14, 2026, the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) brings the tactile qualities of traditional Korean craftsmanship to Maison&Objet with ‘Hanji House’. Crafted from paper mulberry bark fibers, Hanji is a thousand-year-old handmade substrate reimagined as a high-performance biomaterial for contemporary furniture, lighting, and spatial architecture. Inside the exhibition, a dynamic interior skin diffuses light demonstrating how this renewable plant-based medium offers solutions for modern built environments.

Korea Craft & Design Foundation presents ‘Hanji House’ at Maison&Objet 2026 | all images courtesy of KCDF

KOREAN CRAFT SHAPED INTO A BIOMATERIAL FOR CONTEMPORARY SPACES

Promoted jointly by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and KCDF, the showcase brings Hanji into international design dialogues. Traditionally applied across writing, windows, and flooring, the material now spans cultural heritage conservation, art restoration, furniture, and lifestyle elements. This international showcase arrives at a pivotal moment, anticipating UNESCO’s decision later in 2026 on 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.

‘Hanji embodies centuries of craftsmanship and traditional papermaking knowledge while offering the sustainability and versatility sought by today’s design industry. 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,’ says Kyungbae Kim, President of KCDF.

marquage g’s signature ‘Hanji Shakerbox’ leverages the paper’s physical resilience to form continuous curves

WEAVING ORGANIC FIBERS INTO DESIGN AT MAISON&OBJET 2O26

At Maison&Objet pavilion the space is designed around soft translucency and airflow, creating an inviting setting where modern minimalism meets natural comfort. In the center, industrial design studio SWNA presents an experimental furniture collection showing how Hanji blends with rigid elements like metal and stone to form floating curved lights, cabinets, and luminous partitions.

Across the pavilion, seven Korean makers show how this durable, plant-based medium transitions into functional design objects. Participating studios, including HANJI PARK Materials Lab, FIDES INTERNATIONAL Co., toolpress, SOMIDANG, marquage g, CURATED COLUMNS, and PULBAT, bring together handmade heritage sheets, art restoration supplies, stationery, fragrance pieces, and interior fixtures. Uniting traditional handcraft with modern production, the exhibition provides architects and designers with a practical, sustainable material for contemporary spaces.

SWNA presents pieces centered on the tactile materiality of Hanji, expanding the paper substrate into sculptural forms