Princess Gan's Paper Cutting Art

Author: Wang Ziqian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Wang Ziqian was born in Nantong, Jiangsu. Growing up in poverty, he moved to Shanghai at the age of 13 and became an apprentice to the street paper-cutting artist Wu Wanheng, learning the art of paper-cutting. During festive times or around the Spring Festival, he would set up stalls to sell his works in places like Xincheng Temple, Baxian Bridge, or bustling streets in Shanghai. Over the years, Mr. Wang created tens of thousands of paper-cutting pieces and embroidery patterns, many of which scattered across cities and rural areas. In the old society, despite working tirelessly from dawn till dusk year after year, he could only provide hunger and poverty for his six-member family. As a paper-cutting artist, his livelihood was extremely meager, and his art had no recognition or status. To preserve this traditional folk art and support his family, Mr. Wang endured hardships and overcame the cold to finally welcome spring.
Any artistic creation is a challenging endeavor. Without understanding the essence of traditional art, the tastes of the people, or the realities of life, and merely playing with forms, it is like a rootless tree or water without a source. With the advancement of the times, artistic creation also evolves, and people's aesthetic preferences may differ, but the principles of artistic creation must not be abandoned. For example, how to make paper-cutting works both nationally rooted and modern is a worthwhile area of exploration. All beneficial external elements are worth learning from, referencing, and absorbing, but they must be adapted to serve our purposes and become part of Chinese culture. This, however, is often easier said than done. But if one ignores the issue of national identity, the result will be something that is neither Eastern nor Western. If the essence of traditional Chinese art is lost in paper-cutting, it will also lose its place in the global art world.
Mr. Wang Ziqian's paper-cutting art is renowned worldwide and has attracted global attention, holding a high status internationally. This demonstrates that the reason Wang Ziqian's paper-cutting art is recognized globally is primarily because it is rooted in its national identity. In my opinion, paper-cutting art should have a strong sense of local identity. Our stance is that Chinese people should sing their own songs on Chinese soil.