Introduction
With her fingers moving as gracefully as a flying swallow, Zhuang Shengjuan, a Dunhuang paper-cutting inheritor from Jiuquan, Gansu Province, brings the figures from Dunhuang murals to life with just a pair of scissors. Her works feature the flowing robes of flying apsaras, the smooth lines of bodhisattvas, and the dancing musicians, all vividly portrayed as she cuts through the paper.
In late April, Zhuang Shengjuan organized her collection of paper-cutting works. Photo by Gao Zhan.
Bringing Dunhuang Murals to Life
"Dunhuang paper-cutting combines traditional culture and art, and every piece is alive," said Zhuang Shengjuan. With a foundation in paper-cutting from a young age, she was deeply attracted by the figures in the murals of the Mogao Caves after her first visit. Once home, she began to study the line drawings of Dunhuang and became increasingly fascinated.
In late April, Zhuang Shengjuan introduced her paper-cutting work "Dunhuang Dance and Music," which took her two months to complete. Photo by Gao Zhan.
What captivates Zhuang Shengjuan is the extremely rich variety of human figures in Dunhuang murals. The size of the contours, the position of the eyes, and the direction of the gaze—every subtle change can make the entire image strikingly different.
Dunhuang paper-cutting has a long history. With the accumulation of Dunhuang culture, both the themes and techniques of Dunhuang paper-cutting have evolved, gradually forming a distinct Dunhuang style.
"Most paper-cutting figures usually have a straight gaze, but the different human figures in Dunhuang murals have different expressions in different scenes, which poses higher technical requirements for paper-cutting," Zhuang Shengjuan said. She recently completed a 1.3-meter-long and 0.6-meter-wide work titled "Dunhuang Dance and Music." The entire piece was done on a single sheet of paper without any cuts.
"Triangular eyes, slanted eyebrows, and a glimpse of the pupil at the edge of the drooping eyelid to express sorrow," she explained. This work took two months to complete. Initially, she drew the positions and sizes of the figures on the paper, but details like the eyes, hand gestures, and ribbons had to be carefully "carved out." "Without these details, it wouldn't be Dunhuang paper-cutting," she emphasized.
To make the figures lifelike, Zhuang Shengjuan not only repeatedly studied the line drawings but also read a large number of books about Dunhuang murals, repeatedly pondering and combining "positive cutting" and "negative cutting" in her creations. For some very small parts, she used a carving knife to slowly carve.
Whenever she had free time, Zhuang Shengjuan would pick up her scissors and immerse herself in the world of paper-cutting. "When the figures come to life as I imagined, I feel very excited," she said.
"I will teach for free to anyone who wants to learn," she said. Whenever someone asks for advice on paper-cutting skills, Zhuang Shengjuan teaches them with great care. She believes that paper-cutting art is a traditional Chinese culture that must be inherited and promoted. She hopes to teach more students who love paper-cutting in the future. "Deeper contact with traditional culture will make everyone love their hometown more and help traditional culture spread further," she said.