When I was a child, every New Year, my grandma would often find a pair of extremely polished scissors and a stack of red paper from the cabinet. She would sit by the window, with the sun shining on her hands, and the scissors would shuttle between the papers. Not long after, a lifelike butterfly appeared in front of my eyes. , I just felt magical at that time, but when I grew up, I realized that this is the most simple and touching folk art around us. When many people talk about folk art, they always think that it is an exhibit that can be seen through glass in a museum, or those unreachable unique skills on TV. In fact, this is not the case. Old crafts such as paper-cutting, shadow puppets, and clay sculptures are hidden in our daily lives, and we can even experience them with our own hands. Today, I just want to tell you about some of my experiences and feelings about folk art, especially paper-cutting, hoping to arouse your interest in this old craft.
From textbook to fingertips: first attempt at paper cutting
For me, what really sparked my strong interest in paper-cutting was an article about Grandma Hu Jiazhi. This paper-cut artist, who has been practicing since 1897, picked up scissors when he was seven or eight years old and incorporated the green mountains and beautiful waters of Tonglu, Zhejiang into his works. I found a work of hers called "Newlyweds" on the Internet. Its level of detail makes it difficult to take your eyes away. In the painting, the scales of the dragon and phoenix playing with the pearls are clearly discernible, the mane of the lion rolling the hydrangea is precise, and the scales of the "fish" that have been cut for many years are overlapping in layers. Staring at these, I felt an itch in my heart, and at the same time I came up with the idea of trying whether I have the ability to cut out a decent object. So, I found red paper and scissors, followed Grandma Hu Jiazhi's example, and started with the simplest word "hi". I originally imagined how difficult this would be, but when I actually started to do it, I realized that just folding the paper symmetrically was not easy, and it was even harder to control the scissors. The parts that should go straight were turned, and the places that were supposed to be turned were cut past the limit. It took a long time to figure it out, and the crumpled "hi" character in my hand looked like a crooked square character no matter how I looked at it.
Secrets hidden in paper: seemingly simple but actually sophisticated
Then I realized that the skill of paper-cutting seemed to be a skill possessed by one's hands, but in fact it required a plan in mind. Artists who are really good at cutting have already completed the pattern in their mind before cutting the knife. We usually think that paper-cutting is just about cutting it according to the shape, but in fact it is far from that simple. Traditional paper-cutting adheres to the principle of "thousands of cuts are continuous, and thousands of cuts are connected." Every time a cut is made, the continuity of the entire paper must be taken into account. The cut patterns must be able to be connected into a whole and will not fall apart when picked up. Just like when I cut the word "hi" before, I didn't understand this principle and cut off all the places that should be connected, so it fell apart when I picked it up. Grandma Hu Jiazhi’s works are extremely exquisite because she takes the skill of “connection” to the extreme. Even in the face of extremely complex scenes, after tens of thousands of cuts, the entire work still appears seamless, with not even a scrap of paper falling off. This requires a lot of patience and precise control over paper and scissors, which cannot be mastered in a short time.
Cut out the joy of life: decorate the warmth of your home with your own hands
Although the first attempt was not classified as a success, I never thought of giving up. I looked for a simpler tutorial and started learning how to cut window grilles. This time I became smarter and folded the paper completely, then slowly sketched the rough outline shape with the help of a pencil, and then carefully cut along the lines and cut to the corners. When I was doing this, I turned the paper so that the scissors could follow the lines instead of twisting the scissors forcefully. In this way, gradually, a slightly clumsy but at least complete window grille appeared in my hands. I carefully pasted this window grille on the glass window of the bedroom. The sunlight entered the room through the red paper, and the whole room became bright. That feeling is completely different from the plastic stickers I bought. It carries my body temperature and thoughts, making this room truly feel like home. Later, I tried to cut several window grilles of different styles and gave them to my grandparents who lived in the neighbor's house. They were so happy that they couldn't close their mouths and kept praising me for my ingenuity. In fact, it's not a matter of dexterity. It's just a matter of practicing a few more times and gaining a little more patience. But seeing how happy they were, I suddenly realized that this might be the connotation of folk art - it is not condescending, but used to convey emotions and decorate the days of life.
Looking back, from becoming curious about paper-cutting, to making my first rather clumsy attempt, to being able to cut out decent window grilles, this process has given me far more than just a simple "happiness" word or a window grille. It prompted me to calm down and realize what is called "slow work leads to careful work". It also made me clearly understand that the seemingly ordinary old craftsmanship around us actually embodies the wisdom of the predecessors and the perseverance of generations. Next time you see those exquisite paper-cut works, you might as well pick up the scissors and give them a try. Don't be afraid of damaging the cut. After all, every time you cut it, you have an intimate exchange with traditional craftsmanship. The kind of happiness produced by making something with your own hands cannot be given by any existing handicraft. I hope that each of us will reserve a place for these wonderful folk arts in our lives, so that their brilliance can be reflected in our ordinary days.
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