For many artists, the creative spark is first lit in childhood by making marks on paper. The humblest workhorse of materials, paper was invented in China in 105 AD, a composite of plant bark, hemp and old fishing nets or rags. It reached Europe by the 12th century via the Middle East. And long before paper, humans used papyrus and parchment to document visually their languages and lives.

Old and new ways of using paper to present ideas are explored by the artwork in the 27th annual “Works on Paper” national…