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Paper-cutter snips colorful scenes from nature
By Liu Bihua and Wang Jie |
June 28, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WANG Jianzhong, a professor from Tongji University, is better known in Shanghai for his paper-cutting. Not long ago, he set up a studio near the Anting Old Street to demonstrate his art. So vivid and true to life, his works in different styles and shapes have won high praise from visitors.
Wang features mainly animals in his works, including birds, beasts and fish. All originally shaped, his works are really pleasing to the eye. So far, he has created nearly 100,000 pieces of artworks, wearing out seven pairs of scissors. In 2005, he was rated as an art master of Shanghai, and in 2007 he was listed among the first batch of "Outstanding Successors of Chinese Folk Art." He also won top prizes at the first national festival of folk art and paper-cutting.
Wang owes his love for paper-cutting to his father Wang Zigan, one of China's top-level art masters known as the "God of Scissors in South China." He began art performance around Shanghai to support his family at the age of 13.
Before 1949, embroidered clothing was in vogue in Shanghai, with clothes and hats embroidered with patterns of dragons, phoenixes or expressions of good luck or blessing being particularly popular. Most of these products came from Wang Zigan. During the 1950s-1960s, Wang Zigan's works were often bought by the local government as gifts for foreign government leaders. Wang himself was also invited time and again to perform in foreign countries.
Quite a number of his creations have been collected by the Shanghai Municipal Archives and the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts.
Influenced and tutored by his father, Wang Jianzhong has perfected the skill and developed a style of his own. In 1993, his father became seriously ill. "At this time, I suddenly came to realize that there must be somebody to inherit this wealth of traditional art, or the exquisite and delicate art developed by my father over 60 years would get lost with his passing away," Wang Jianzhong told us. Thus he picked up his father's scissors at the age of 38.
Although he is very busy, Wang would always find time to pursue his art. It is commonplace for him to work with his scissors till the small hours or dawn.
Due to using scissors for dozens of years, hard calluses have grown over the joints of the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of his right hand.
But hard work pays off. Today, Wang is able to create a piece of paper-cut with just one cut of his scissors, be it big or small. He can cut a pair of mandarin ducks, for instance, in just one minute.
He has also developed the so-called "color cutting," with which he makes clever use of different paper colors to create works with a much greater visual appeal than single-colored paper traditionally used for paper-cuts.
Wang believes paper-cutting must be based on modern life. Apart from taking part in folk art and academic exchanges all over the country, Wang would often go to communities, schools and even the countryside to collect elements for his creation or demonstrate his art.
Wang's works are also loved by many foreigners. An Israeli businessman in Shanghai, for instance, once watched his art performance. He asked to be an apprentice. One year later, this Israeli can already create some works. Although still very simple, his works startled his wife who is an art professor in an art department of a university back in Israel. "These Chinese paper-cuts are marvelous. It is unimaginable," she said.
Wang has developed a special love for Anting. After retirement next year, he said, he would like to pass on his skills in the neighborhood to help popularize paper-cutting as a classical Chinese folk art.
Wang features mainly animals in his works, including birds, beasts and fish. All originally shaped, his works are really pleasing to the eye. So far, he has created nearly 100,000 pieces of artworks, wearing out seven pairs of scissors. In 2005, he was rated as an art master of Shanghai, and in 2007 he was listed among the first batch of "Outstanding Successors of Chinese Folk Art." He also won top prizes at the first national festival of folk art and paper-cutting.
Wang owes his love for paper-cutting to his father Wang Zigan, one of China's top-level art masters known as the "God of Scissors in South China." He began art performance around Shanghai to support his family at the age of 13.
Before 1949, embroidered clothing was in vogue in Shanghai, with clothes and hats embroidered with patterns of dragons, phoenixes or expressions of good luck or blessing being particularly popular. Most of these products came from Wang Zigan. During the 1950s-1960s, Wang Zigan's works were often bought by the local government as gifts for foreign government leaders. Wang himself was also invited time and again to perform in foreign countries.
Quite a number of his creations have been collected by the Shanghai Municipal Archives and the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts.
Influenced and tutored by his father, Wang Jianzhong has perfected the skill and developed a style of his own. In 1993, his father became seriously ill. "At this time, I suddenly came to realize that there must be somebody to inherit this wealth of traditional art, or the exquisite and delicate art developed by my father over 60 years would get lost with his passing away," Wang Jianzhong told us. Thus he picked up his father's scissors at the age of 38.
Although he is very busy, Wang would always find time to pursue his art. It is commonplace for him to work with his scissors till the small hours or dawn.
Due to using scissors for dozens of years, hard calluses have grown over the joints of the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of his right hand.
But hard work pays off. Today, Wang is able to create a piece of paper-cut with just one cut of his scissors, be it big or small. He can cut a pair of mandarin ducks, for instance, in just one minute.
He has also developed the so-called "color cutting," with which he makes clever use of different paper colors to create works with a much greater visual appeal than single-colored paper traditionally used for paper-cuts.
Wang believes paper-cutting must be based on modern life. Apart from taking part in folk art and academic exchanges all over the country, Wang would often go to communities, schools and even the countryside to collect elements for his creation or demonstrate his art.
Wang's works are also loved by many foreigners. An Israeli businessman in Shanghai, for instance, once watched his art performance. He asked to be an apprentice. One year later, this Israeli can already create some works. Although still very simple, his works startled his wife who is an art professor in an art department of a university back in Israel. "These Chinese paper-cuts are marvelous. It is unimaginable," she said.
Wang has developed a special love for Anting. After retirement next year, he said, he would like to pass on his skills in the neighborhood to help popularize paper-cutting as a classical Chinese folk art.
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