My fascination with the Chinese folk art of papercutting began in 2005, while I was at university. After I spent a few months humming and hawing over a dissertation topic, my classmate (now my husband!) suggested I research papercuts – it was perfect for me.
We spent an extended period in Beijing as part of our course and during that time I got to know Liu Ren, an inspirational artist in her mid 40s. She had turned her little courtyard house into a papercut museum and every inch of every wall was covered in work she had lovingly collected or created herself. Her enthusiasm was infectious. As there is currently little information about the folk art written in English, I feel very grateful to have been able to speak to her and access the Chinese sources, and to learn so much through both. I hope to translate some of these amazing sources so Western readers can enjoy them too!
The Open Houses 2011 is a good excuse for me to develop my own art! I generally work with scissors and do not sketch the cuts beforehand; this makes for quite an organic process. However, recently I have tried knife-cutting (with a craft knife) and will sometimes sketch the designs out first.
The type of paper used is very important. My favourite is the traditional red paper I bought in Beijing because the dye is so saturated and vibrant. But anything will work: tissue paper, card, newspaper, construction paper -- even gum wrappers!
I do personalised commissions in addition to my own work, so do get in touch if you would like to discuss projects. I also teach cutting workshops.