Visual paper art has a new award – the Paper Art Award

The opening day of the sixth edition of paper positions berlin came to a successful conclusion on April 28^th 2022 with the presentation of the Paper Art Award. The high quality of the exhibited works of contemporary visual paper art was honoured by the jury in a special way this year. For the first time, the highest endowed art prize for sculptural paper art, totalling € 36,000, was awarded to four artists.

The jury awarded the gold prize to Afshan Daneshvar, represented by O Gallery (Tehran) for her outstanding works which are part of her “Boats series”. The artist has been working intensively with the medium of paper since 2015. She strings together tiny folded intact as well as deformed paper boats into a fabric-like sea of black, which can be read as a commentary on current events and thus have a deeply emotional impact.

The silver-prize was awarded to Goekhan Erdogan, represented by Galerie Heike Strelow(Frankfurt am Main). The Frankfurt-based artist is known for his sculptural approach toward paper as artistic material. His work is determined by the focus on his own portrait photo printed on paper, which he sometimes transforms to the point of complete dissolution.

This year’s bronze award is shared by Aja von Loeper, represented by Wichtendahl Galerie (Berlin), and Lisa Tiemann, who is represented by Galerie Schwarz Contemporary (Berlin). The works by Aja von Loeper, who works in Nuremberg, convinced the jury with the impressive interplay of light and textures that the artist wrings from the paper’s fibres in her “White Sheets” through such powerful yet careful mechanical processing. The jury saw comparable artistic accomplishment in Lisa Tiemann’s sculptures. Tiemann works in Berlin where she explores the boundaries of materiality and stability in her series of works named “Couples” by fusing ceramics and paper.

About the Paper Art Award

The Paper Art Award has been presented annually at the art fair paper positions berlin since 2021. It was established by the fine art print studio d’mage in cooperation with artist paper manufacturer Hahnemühle and Canon with the aim of honouring first-class artistic positions that work with the material paper in a groundbreaking, elevated and independent way. A jury of experts consisting of gallery owners, artists and guest jurors from the art and culture industry select the prize winners. The winning works are purchased by Haus des Papiers, the world’s first museum exclusive for contemporary paper art. In this way, the collection of this unique paper art museum offers a platform for established as well as up-and-coming artists while also honouring the craftsmanship and artisanal skills of the trades associated with paper as a material for artistic production.