"Paper Weights" 

Curator: Zhuang Zirui

Since its refinement by Cai Lun in 105 AD, paper has become an essential vessel for documenting human civilization. A single, thin sheet transcends time and geography, bearing the marks of history and the sediment of thought. From ancient Chinese bamboo and hemp to modern varieties, paper's evolution has undergone countless innovations. Though light and delicate, it carries immense cultural weight, serving as a witness to human communication, records, and creativity.

Art+ Shanghai Gallery is honored to present the upcoming group exhibition Paper Weights. This exhibition brings together artists who use paper as a medium for multidimensional artistic exploration. In Paper Weights, paper is not just a material but the core and symbol of the narrative. Through various paper-based creations, the artists breathe new life into this ancient material, interweaving its texture, fragility, and resilience into a world rich with symbolic meaning.

The exhibition opens with a wooden installation, symbolizing the intimate connection between wood and paper—wood as the mother, paper as its rebirth. This installation invites the audience to reflect on our relationship with nature. The tactile nature of wood represents our bond with the earth, while paper, through the artists' creations, extends this connection into new realms.

As a medium for conveying information, paper's texture seems to hold emotions, awaiting the brush's touch to bring them to life. Paper-based painting relies on the softness and fragility of paper, offering a unique sensory experience. As the brush glides across the surface, paper fibers respond to each stroke's weight, with lines and colors flowing through the texture. The paper's absorbency defines its interaction with pigments, as colors diffuse and emotions spread across its surface, while settling ink reflects the depth of thought.

Each sheet of paper is unique, and through this intimate interaction, artists capture the soul of paper-based painting. Whether through complex layering or subtle strokes, paper-based painting imbues works with profound emotion and rich visual depth. In Paper Weights, this diverse approach elevates paper-based painting to an expressive and thought-provoking form.

The works in this exhibition are not confined to two dimensions. By exploring paper's texture, the artists delve into the tension between fragility and strength. The more inherent conflict in the material, the greater the tension becomes. Creases and tears are no longer flaws but integral parts of expression. In the artists' hands, paper transforms from a passive tool into an active, vibrant subject. Ordinary white sheets, through folding, pressing, and other techniques, are sculpted into structured and powerful three-dimensional forms. This marks paper's complete transformation from object to subject, where it regains life and its force is restructured.

Paper Weights is not merely a display of paper as a material but a celebration of its rebirth and redefinition. In this exhibition, paper becomes the very subject through which artists express their thoughts and emotions. Through folding, tearing, and reconstruction, paper is granted new life and strength. These works imbue paper's texture and fragility with profound meaning. A thin sheet can carry the weight of the world.

In this process, the artists not only re-examine paper's possibilities but also reveal the boundless creative potential behind the material. Paper is no longer static; it becomes a force that inspires thought and sparks dialogue. We hope Paper Weights will inspire a renewed contemplation of art's essence—the eternal cycle of creation and expression.

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