Hand-cut paper cutting / 2020
This series of paper cutting were created after the artist was awarded the Creative Arts Fellowship through Pitt Honors College. The artist used paper cutting, a traditional Chinese folk art form that represents her cultural background, to respond to the moment, and to the events unfolding over this year. Being an international student from China in the U.S. during this particular time allows the artist to witness how global affairs affect individuals and she also experienced some of the effects herself. She watches the news from both Chinese media and the U.S. media, and she shares the information with her family in China as well as her friends in the U.S. As they talk about things, she notices that a lot of misunderstandings exist between people with different backgrounds because of wrong impressions or the lack of effective discussion, and some of the misunderstandings cause serious consequences such as racism, xenophobia, and panic.
The artist asks herself why and how these things happen but realize that the questions may not have a straight answer. She includes these thoughts and observations in her works without directly delivering a message as she is still looking for the answers herself. In most of the paper cuttings, the traditional pattern dominates the space and to some extent undermines the direct meaning of the text. Her use of symbolic images or controversial phrases opens up room for different interpretations and understandings of the work. The disconnection between the decorative patterns and the essence of the work also parallels the division that exists between people with different perspectives.
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