The Paperweight Show: 100 unusual paperweights that push the boundaries of design
The humble paperweight has been an essential for any desk for over a century, holding down sheets of paper and stopping them from blowing away in a breeze. The first were made in the "classic" years between 1845 and 1860, origination from factories in France. But what about today?

All images courtesy of the artists. Via Creative Boom submission.
A recent exhibition at the Fisher Parrish gallery in Brooklyn celebrated the antique device with 100 contemporary artists and designers redefining the small weighty object with their own unique and often wonderfully wacky creations.
Simply named The Paperweight Show, the exhibition of original small works featured artists such as Aaron Elvis Jupin, Andrew Ross, Chris Beeston, Elise Peterson, Huy Bui and Pat Kim. From recreated petrol cans to alien creatures, these artworks will surprise and delight.
Zoe Fisher from the Gallery said: "The paperweight is a small weighty sculpture to which we have ascribed one very simple function (a somewhat obsolete function today). From clearly 'designed' and functional works, to more conceptual explorations of a specific function, The Paperweight Show aims to engage both established and emerging artists and designers in an important dialogue – pushing your own disciplinary boundaries and allowing for a deeper understanding of the object."


Alex Reed

Aria McManus

Bruce M. Sherman

Joey Watson

V.V. Sorry

Christopher Chiappa

Visibility

Katherine Gray & Eric Huebsch

Ladies and Gentleman

Lazy Mom

Matthew Palladino

Matthew Ronay

Nick DeMarco

Paul Wackers

Thaddeus Wolfe
Editor's Picks
Trending
Latest Jobs
Art Director at The New York Times
Full-time·New York·$120,000 – $130,000
Motion Design Lead at Huge
Full-time·United States·$108,000 – $142,000
Midweight Designer at Cake Agency
Full-time·Birmingham·£30,000 – £35,000
Global Creative Lead, Reverb at Spotify
Full-time·New York·$123,189 – $175,985
Graphic Design Intern at Ace & Tate
Full-time·Amsterdam·€500 a month
Senior Product Designer at Rover
Full-time·Barcelona·€62,722 – €76,027




















. Image courtesy of the designer.](https://media.creativeboom.com/d40ac190-6c74-41db-a953-4997e1ae4f92/conversions/97f89e7158a60932a1a9d452fe1b5518f5c32aaa-medium.webp)

