Taipei City Government

Chen SuHo and his wife spent half a century in Taiwan after making it their home. Chen was the founder and guiding light of Chang Chuen Cotton Paper Plant. Unfortunately, in Oct. 1990, the loving couple passed away in a plane crash in China’s Guangdong Province. To honor their father, his children brought life to one of his unfulfilled dreams with the establishment of the SuHo Memorial Paper Museum, opening after five years of planning, in Oct. 1995.

The facility is an expansive 160 ping (1 ping = 36 sq. ft.) stretched over four floors. The emphasis is on educational activities, effected through lively displays and tours. Topics addressed are the history of paper, systematic archiving and conservation of paper relics; innovation in paper art and handicrafts, and in paperdesign transformation for use in daily life; live demos of the traditional paper-making process, restoration of damaged and yel lowed paper, and creative uses for di scarded was te paper. The many achievements in the realm of paper are explored—art , creativity, design, technique, and other facets—that are being used to bring the world of traditional hand-crafted paper into the world of modern life, giving the culture of paper a place in the unique rich world of the cultural creative industry. Meanwhile, the standards and breadth of the vision of Taiwan’s hand-crafted paper producers are heightened with the introduction of the latest innovations from the international scene.

In 1999, the SuHo International Paper Art Exhibition was staged for the first time. The promotional efforts have since continued without let-up, with related shows and exhibits on all imaginable paper creativity themes hosted in cooperation with domestic and overseas art centers and other groups. In 2005, after laborious research and complicated preparation, art, culture, and state-of-the-art technology were wonderfully brought together in creating the brand new type of paper named “Cloud Gate Dance Paper”, a pioneering accomplishment for creating interest in paper art and creativity on the international stage, astounding people with the ingenious and unlimited array of compelling aesthetic uses to which paper can be put. The SuHo crew’s efforts on creative transnational, boundary-breaking experiments have also been legion, both big and small in scale. Perhaps the model of radical innovations in this group has been the invitation of Japanese artist Kobayashi Junko, who worked with Taiwan architect Jian Xue-yi on a two-piece luminous arc wall placed before an obstetrics and gynaecology medical facility in Zhongshan District. The creation, 10 meters high and 3 meters wide, is a lovely synthesis of paper and light, a compelling example of paper adding value to architectural aesthetics, and a transfixing sight that startles unsuspecting and soon smiling passersby.

Unlike the approach that China takes regarding production, which quantity production is engaged to keep prices low, SuHo and Chang Chuen Cot ton Paper Plant focus both on quality and eco-friendliness. By only using raw mater ial s that are both recyclable and non-polluting in the production process, and with such deep knowledge of the properties and characteristics of fibers, myriad types of handmade and machine-made papers are developed. Working with a business consortium ten years ago with a focus on the preservation of paper relics, Chang Chuen developed a superior type of new acid-free, neutral paper that is far lighter than before. The earlier type was 25g/㎡, but this new type is as thin as a cicada’s wings, weighing in at just 5g/㎡. Its extremely slow deterioration suits perfectly for relics repair, and each relic has its customized paper needs. The group will continue in its efforts to promote Taiwan culture in general, and promote Taiwan’s paper culture in particular.

Information

SuHo Memorial Paper Museum Tel: (02) 2507-5535 Add: 68, Sec. 2, Changan E. Rd. Website: http://www.suhopaper.org.tw/en/en_index.html

Right now the SuHo Memorial Paper Museum is staging a celebration of Taiwan’s young generation of paper-cutting artists in its “Cutting Happy Flowers—Lin Wen-zhen, Qiu Yuwen, and Liu Yun-zhu Paper-Cut Work Joint Exhibition”, which will stretch through the Lunar New Year (Nov. 29, 2008 to Feb. 9, 2009). In the itinerary of pure unadulterated fun are papercutting, poetry, and fairytales. Each work displays supreme originality, and a reflection of each author’s life of richness and cultivation. Admirers of the beautiful will come away feeling both inspired and moved.