SPAZE PAPER debuts at WTO "Crafted Anew" China-chic Cultural and Creative Exhibition, showcasing power of Chinese design through art of paper

(Photo provided to Guangming Online)

The 2026 World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum was successfully held recently at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of the Forum, the "Opportunity China · Creating and Sharing the Future" series of Chinese culture promotion events — hosted by the State Council Information Office of China and the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO, and organized by the China Intercontinental Communication Center — was launched at the WTO headquarters. Representing China's new wave of China-chic (Guochao, 国潮) creative design, SPAZE PAPER (十八纸) took a prominent part in the "Global City Gifts — China Design, Seen by the World" segment, presenting its distinctive cultural and creative works at the "Crafted Anew" China-chic Cultural and Creative Exhibition and conveying a contemporary expression of Chinese culture through the medium of creative paper art.

China-chic Creations Gather: Paper Art Lights Up the WTO Headquarters

The "Crafted Anew" China-chic Cultural and Creative Exhibition brought together contemporary products and design achievements rooted in traditional Chinese culture, covering a rich variety of categories — including cultural and creative products from the Palace Museum, designs themed on traditional Chinese opera (Xiqu, 戏曲), porcelain, silver ornaments, and Miao embroidery (苗绣) — in a collective showcase of the innovative strength of contemporary Chinese cultural creativity. Invited to exhibit alongside a group of renowned Chinese original-design brands such as Qicunjiu (七寸九), Zhuben (逐本) and Mingxi Rings (鸣鈢指环), SPAZE PAPER stood out as one of the highlights of the exhibition with its distinctive accordion-fold paper artworks.

At the exhibition, SPAZE PAPER put the spotlight on several of its signature paper-art creations, including the China-chic Panda (国潮熊猫), Accordion Journey to the West (风琴西游记), Red Koi (红锦鲤), Mixiang Treasure Gourd (弥香宝葫芦) and Bag of Blessings (福气满袋). Deeply rooted in the heritage of Eastern traditional culture and expressed through the brand’s unique accordion-fold paper language, the series ingeniously combines traditional auspicious imagery and classical aesthetics with modern design. With their exquisite workmanship and creative expression, the works won high recognition from industry experts and guests from China and abroad. Visitors from many countries stopped to experience first-hand the beauty of fusion between traditional Chinese craftsmanship and contemporary innovative design.

Beyond the cultural and creative products themselves, the SPAZE PAPER accordion-series display stands used throughout the venue formed another distinctive highlight of the exhibition. In contrast to traditional bulky exhibition structures, the brand drew on a light, flexible form and a sustainable material philosophy to create an innovative display solution that is both practical and artistic. The stands not only provided the diverse exhibits on site with a presentation medium that blends Eastern aesthetics with modern design, but also closely echoed the core theme of the event — "harmony and coexistence, crafted anew" (和合共生、匠韵新生). After the exhibition, the accordion paper stands can also be reused, embodying the value of green, low-carbon and sustainable design.

From a Sheet of Paper to the World Stage: A Sustainable Expression of Chinese Design

From traditional ancient papermaking to contemporary creative paper art, paper has always served as an important carrier of Chinese civilization and a messenger of Eastern aesthetics. As an original design brand deeply engaged in the field of accordion-fold paper art, SPAZE PAPER has long been committed to integrating traditional Chinese paper culture with modern design concepts, and to exploring innovative applications of paper-based materials across diverse scenarios such as furniture, exhibition displays and cultural-creative products.

Appearing on the international stage of the WTO headquarters in Geneva marks a significant step in SPAZE PAPER’s effort to take China-chic design global. Prior to this, the brand had already appeared on a series of major international stages, including the United Nations Headquarters in the United States, the World Expo in Japan and the Paris Olympic Games, continuously bringing the strength of Chinese original design to a global audience. From a pioneering Chinese paper-art brand to a presence on the world stage, SPAZE PAPER uses a single sheet of paper as its medium to build a bridge of cultural exchange between China and the world, enabling people across the globe to sense, through tangible and experiential paper-art products, the creativity of Chinese design and the vitality of Chinese culture.

Looking ahead, SPAZE PAPER will continue to deepen its innovation in paper art and uphold the deep integration of traditional craftsmanship with modern design, creating more original and imaginative paper-art works to help Chinese craftsmanship and Chinese design reach the global stage, and to convey to the world the enduring power of Eastern aesthetics — harmony, coexistence and ceaseless vitality.

(By Long Xuan)