Paris Design Week: Hanjimania

Held within the historic Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde, Hanjimania is an exhibition that brings together French and Korean designers around the traditional Korean paper known as hanji. Curated by Catherine Lurault and An KangEun, the show creates a dialogue between two cultures, highlighting the excellence of both French and Korean craftsmanship through this exceptional material, which is in the process of being inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Six renowned French creators—including Studio KO, Pierre Yovanovitch, Constance Guisset, Aline Asmar d’Amman, Harry Nuriev, and Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau—interpret this thousand-year-old craft alongside Korean artists such as Sim Jiseon, Lee Sun, Kim Woncheon, Studio Foh, Ko Somi, Yang Ji-Yoon, Yoo Ehwa, Jin Hyoseung, Kim Yongho, and Kim Heewon. Master artisans (Living Treasures) Kim Samshik and Lee Byung-Seop also contribute their expertise in hanji paper from Mungyeong and Andong respectively.

Visitors can wander through the state apartments of the intendants, where contemporary Korean creations punctuate the exhibition route. Co-organized with the Province of Gyeongbuk, the event marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and Korea in 2026. The setting—a former Garde-Meuble de la Couronne—provides a fitting backdrop for this cabinet of curiosities that bridges heritage and modern design.