Paper Clouds | Handmade Kites by Anna Onesti

The exhibition Paper Clouds presents a series of handmade kites by Italian artist Anna Onesti, through which she explores the relationships between paper, colour, structure, lightness, and movement.

Suspended within the exhibition space, the kites reveal a delicate balance between form and air. Although their shapes may appear simple, their construction requires precision, an in-depth understanding of materials, and careful consideration of structure in order for each object to be capable of flight. The kite’s functionality therefore becomes an integral part of the artistic process rather than merely a technical characteristic.

Anna Onesti draws inspiration from historical kite traditions of Japan and Korea, which she reinterprets through her own contemporary artistic practice. Central to her work is handmade mulberry-fibre paper (kozo), known as washi in Japan and hanji in Korea, a material valued for its strength, flexibility, and exceptionally light weight.

The exhibition is complemented by photographs by Fabio Massimo Fioravanti, showing the kites in flight. These images transport the works from the static environment of the exhibition space into their natural setting of sky and wind, highlighting the transition from object to action and from form to movement. Selected publications and archival material from previous presentations of Onesti’s work also provide a broader perspective on her artistic practice and development.

Paper Clouds was presented alongside the exhibition “Handmade Paper from Asia to Europe”, creating a dialogue between the history of handmade paper and its contemporary artistic use. It was the first solo artist exhibition presented by Triton & Shell, forming part of the organisation’s exhibition programme dedicated to highlighting paper as an artistic and cultural medium.

The timing of the exhibition, in the weeks leading up to Clean Monday, created a distinctive connection between Asian traditions of kite-making and the familiar Greek custom of flying kites at the beginning of Lent. Through this encounter, the exhibition highlighted paper as a material capable of connecting different techniques, cultures, and narratives.