The idea was born in 2008 at an art residency at Nelimarkka Museum, Alajärvi, Finland, where Daniela Todorova was attracted by the charm of paper art. She herself started to work actively in this field, and was eventually invited to become a member of The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists – IAPMA. The creation of the exhibition was a spontaneous decision to show different art in Bulgaria. It was organized by Amateras Art Studio, founded by Daniela Todorova and Todor Todorov.

In 2009 the exhibition/competition became a reality. This is the first project of Art Studio Amateras focused on paper art. In 2011, the studio founded the Amateras Foundation, which continues the studio's mission by building on and expanding it. The event sparked strong interest and this led to the natural creation of Sofia Paper Art Fest.

The competition has proven to be an attraction for hundreds of artists who have applied annually for over 13 years. An international jury announces the winning artists, whose works become part of the Amateras Collection. The Foundation provides the award-winning artists with opportunities to participate in other projects and solo shows.

The competition begins as a small-format paper art exhibition presented annually in the Art Alley Gallery. In 2017, the organizers changed the status of the competition and increased the format of the works. This development was necessitated by the growing number of requests for submissions of larger scale works.

In its long life, the exhibition has become a popular forum for paper art and each year presents the public with exciting exhibitions, presenting hundreds of works in a spirit of innovation and aesthetics with an ecological message.

Over the years, an invaluable partner of the competition has been IAPMA, which has assisted in the realization, the promotion and the status of the event.