From September 10 to 20, 2026, Fabriano, the Italian city renowned for its centuries-old papermaking tradition, welcomes one of South Korea’s most fascinating forms of craftsmanship: hanji, traditional Korean paper.
The Museum of Paper and Watermark in Fabriano hosts the exhibition “Paper is Culture – Hanji, Wearing Splendor”, a project that transforms paper into clothing, ornaments, sculpture and storytelling, creating an evocative dialogue between two cultures geographically far apart yet united by an extraordinary heritage connected to paper.
Fabriano Meets Korean Hanji
There could hardly be a more symbolic place than Fabriano to tell the story of hanji.
On one side is the Italian city in the Marche region, known worldwide for its paper production and a tradition spanning centuries of Italian and European history. On the other is Korea, where hanji represents far more than a simple material: it is part of the country’s cultural heritage and has accompanied everyday life, art, architecture and craftsmanship for centuries.
The exhibition was born precisely from the encounter between these two histories.
Through works created using hanji, Italian visitors can discover the culture of the Joseon Dynasty, exploring its clothing, social symbols, accessories and scenes of everyday life reinterpreted through different traditional craft techniques.
When Paper Becomes Clothing
One of the most fascinating aspects of the exhibition is the artists’ ability to transform a material that may appear fragile, such as paper, into something surprisingly structured.
Hanji is folded, woven, shaped, compressed and worked until it takes on entirely new forms.
Among the works on display are the dopo, the traditional outer robe worn by Joseon scholars, and the famous gat, the distinctive Korean hat that in recent years has become increasingly familiar to international audiences thanks to the global popularity of Korean historical dramas.
Some creations use the jiseung technique, in which thin strips of paper are twisted and woven until they almost resemble fabric.
Others employ the jumchi technique, which involves repeatedly manipulating and compressing hanji to make it stronger, allowing artists to create even pieces reminiscent of traditional armor.
Three-dimensional helmets, accessories and decorative objects further demonstrate the remarkable versatility of this traditional Korean paper.
Joseon Society Told Through Clothing
The garments, however, are much more than demonstrations of extraordinary craftsmanship.
During Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, what a person wore could reveal a great deal about their position within society.
Among the most significant elements featured in the exhibition is the double-crane insignia, a symbol associated with the rank of civil officials.
Clothing, headwear and ornaments therefore become a way of understanding an entire historical era.
The simplicity of the forms, the balance of the lines and the elegance of the details reflect ideals of dignity, restraint and refinement associated with scholars and the educated classes of Joseon society.
This understated beauty is one of the central themes running throughout the exhibition.
Beyond Clothing: Small Fragments of Korea
“Hanji, Wearing Splendor” goes far beyond the world of traditional clothing.
The exhibition also includes decorative objects, traditional ornamental pouches, and dakjongi dolls, created through the distinctive Korean art of shaping and modeling paper into human figures.
Among the works presented are “A Hundred Years of Spring” and “Brother and Sister”, alongside illuminated installations that use hanji to reinterpret traditional imagery and atmospheres.
Paper continuously changes its identity.
It becomes clothing.
It becomes a hat.
It becomes armor.
It becomes light.
It becomes a person.
And finally, it becomes a work of art.
Korea and Italy United Through the Culture of Paper
There is something particularly meaningful about seeing hanji arrive in Fabriano.
Italy and Korea both share histories deeply connected to the craftsmanship of papermaking. Their traditions developed in different periods and cultural contexts, yet both reveal the extraordinary ability to transform a seemingly simple material into a medium for culture, memory and beauty.
For this reason, “Paper is Culture” is much more than an exhibition dedicated to Korean craftsmanship.
It is an encounter.
A dialogue between two cultural heritages that, through paper, are able to speak to each other without the need for translation.
And perhaps this is the most beautiful meaning behind the exhibition: a reminder that a single sheet of paper can preserve a story, travel across centuries and continents, and ultimately become a bridge between cultures.
Exhibition Information
2026 Fabriano – “Paper is Culture”
Hanji, Wearing Splendor
📅 September 10–20, 2026
📍 Museum of Paper and Watermark, Fabriano – Italy
Organized by: Hanji Culture Foundation
With the support and collaboration of: Wonju City (South Korea) and KAE
