Zhejiang Art Museum exhibits papercuts by folk master Ku Shulan
A papercutting art exhibition featuring 58 works from master Ku Shulan (1920-2004) will run through May 6 at Zhejiang Art Museum. As a folk craft practiced widely in Shaanxi Province, the exhibit reflects the culture and folklore of the area.
Traditionally, Shaanxi women cut elaborate works in paper for ceremonies and festivals, plastering them on windows to add an auspicious vibe. The art is now known as chuanghua (窗花), which means window flowers.
In modern days, Ku's works symbolize the superior techniques and aesthetics of the craft in China. Her works are valued as great art because of their beauty, creativity and virtuosity.
In 2009, papercutting was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, which stated it was a "popular art integral to everyday lives" in China.
Ku was honored as an "Outstanding Folk Art Master" by UNESCO, and was the first person to be awarded the title on the Chinese mainland. Traditional papercuts were usually red and shaped to fit inside windows. However, Ku's works were more colorful and larger. She never drafted her designs before cutting but did so freehand by virtue of her superb skills and natural gifts.
During decades of practice, her styles constantly developed, with patterns evolving from the simple to the complex, gradually forming a wide range of varieties.
Visitors appreciate the works by late papercutting master Ku Shulan at Zhejiang Art Museum. Ku's exhibition runs through May 6.
Visitors to the exhibition can view Ku's unique personal style, which always features brilliant hues and exaggerated shapes. While most Chinese papercuts are overwhelmingly fashioned in auspicious red, the exhibited artworks feature green, blue and other colors.
Ku's early works mainly featured traditional subjects, such as flowers, animals and characters. As with many other art forms in China, they are filled with symbolic meaning reflecting a yearning for happiness.
Later in her life, most of her works became themed on a figure she imagined, jianhua niangzi (剪花娘子), which literally means the "papercut lady." The figure was considered a reflection of her inner spiritual world, which was rare for an illiterate craftswoman of that era.
Curators categorized the exhibition into three sections. The first part introduces Ku's life experience and early works, while the second segment displays her jianhua niangzi works alongside Shaanxi ballads and documentary films. The last section is set up as an interactive space in which children are invited to make their own papercuts.
Ku lived on the Loess Plateau, which mainly covers Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces but also extends into Gansu and Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions. Residents of the plateau live in house caves carved out of hillsides. Chuanghua became a common type of decoration for their simple houses.
At first, the young Ku cut shapes on the theme of agriculture, such as ploughs and harvests, reflecting the harmonious relationship between people and nature. Her papercuts were also believed to ward off evil when plastered on doors.
She cut deities and figures from legends in a bid to get rid of ailments and attract blessings. Such works epitomize the regional religions and customs of the Loess Plateau.
One of Ku Shulan's depictions of jianhua niangzi, or papercut lady.
Another piece of elaborate papercut by Ku, featuring an auspicious frog.
Traditionally, cutting paper was a female art or craft to express women's creativity. In the past, girls were expected to master the art and potential brides were evaluated on their homemaking skills that included papercutting. They tried to showcase traditional virtues and a mild temperament through their works, and Ku was no exception.
Ku suffered from insufficient food and family violence for years, and 10 of her 13 children died of diseases. However, she never gave up her love for papercuts. On the contrary, she treated it as mental sustenance, expressing her persistence and bravery.
In the 1980s, some local artists came across the work of this illiterate woman, and her life changed tremendously after that. More and more of her works were introduced to viewers nationwide, which created a stir in the art circle.
Most of the pieces in the exhibition are on loan from the Shaanxi Art Museum. In 2003, professionals from the museum visited Ku and combed through her works. The exhibition will tour around the country, popularizing the art of the Shaanxi papercutting and this legendary woman.
Exhibition info:
Date: Through May 6 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Venue: Zhejiang Art Museum
Address: 138 Nanshan Rd
南山路138号
