Chen Jingyi, an inheritor of paper cutting in Wuxi, shows off one of her works. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Chen Jingyi in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, is an expert in paper cutting, which has a history of more than 1,500 years in China.
Chen is very particular about the first cut in her everyday work. In her opinion, it is relatively easy to create a good work of art the morning after designing it.
Chen said that cutting is the final step in the paper cutting creation process, while the design is actually much more important.
A paper-cutting piece by Chen. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Chen learned from professional paper cutters with the goal of changing how people view the art – as many people don't consider it an art at all
Breaking people's stereotypes about paper cutting is Chen's original goal and each of her works integrates various art forms, including sculpture, western-style painting, traditional Chinese painting, and calligraphy.
Her paper cutting work Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival amazed the entire paper cutting industry with over 800 figures, 170 trees, 20 vehicles, and various houses, roads, and rivers. The work has been collected by the Tokyo Museum of Art.
As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage item, Chen is pleased to teach people how to cut paper and expects more young people to become interested in the art.
Chen is currently creating works related to Wuxi's traditional stores, iconic architecture, and other intangible cultural heritage items.
