Introduction: They possess folk art skills and have dedicated half their lives to a single craft. Remaining true to their original aspirations, they have made the inheritance of these skills their lifelong career. They are the female inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in Yantai.
In March, Jiaodong Online, in collaboration with the Yantai Cultural Center, launched a themed interview titled "Tributing Excellence in Inheritance and Promoting Traditional Culture — A March Tribute | In Search of Yantai's Female Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors." Let us delve into the artistic world of these female inheritors and experience their stories of perseverance. The second installment introduces Xu Wenhua, the representative inheritor of Yantai paper-cutting, to understand her love for paper-cutting and how she spreads this art through her skillful scissors.
A Passion for Paper-Cutting
Paper-cutting is now an integral part of Xu Wenhua's life. Looking back, it also holds memories from her childhood. "Paper-cutting was just a form of entertainment. When I was a child in my hometown in Wendeng, a rural area, I could just grab a pair of scissors and a piece of paper and start playing," Xu Wenhua said.
In 1986, Xu Wenhua moved to Yantai and later worked in a private printing factory. Although her living environment changed, the memory of paper-cutting remained deeply ingrained. "I would tear the leftover paper from the printing factory into patterns. Later, I even bought red paper from Sanzhan and gave away the paper-cuttings as gifts," she said.
After attending a folk art expo, Xu Wenhua was inspired by the works of master paper-cutters and began to pursue professional paper-cutting. Gradually, she started participating in competitions and realized how much more there was to learn. "The outside world was so fascinating. In 2003, in Heilongjiang, I was shocked by the works of others and realized my pieces were not on the same level. Since then, I stopped watching TV and focused entirely on improving my paper-cutting skills. I was determined to catch up," she said.
To enhance her skills, Xu Wenhua bought fine-brush paintings from bookstores to practice, visited paper-cutting artists like Lv Shurong and Lv Shujuan to learn techniques, and continuously attended exhibitions for inspiration. Over the years, she created tens of thousands of images of figures, animals, flowers, birds, and still life. She spent three years on the series "108 Heroes of Water Margin" and other works like "100 Tigers" and "100 Apple Long Scroll," which are known for their lifelike details, delicate fur work, grandeur, and precision.
Telling Chinese Stories through Paper-Cutting
In Xu Wenhua's hands, paper-cutting tells Chinese stories. Her series of works, such as "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea," "18 Scenic Spots of Yantai," "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars," "Thirty-Eight Female Heroes," "100 Chickens Celebrating the New Year," and "100 Dogs Welcoming Spring," have amazed audiences and attracted many foreign friends. In 2014, her zodiac series was collected by the organizing committee of the China-Korea Paper Art Exchange.
Paper-cutting has gradually integrated into the market economy. With the support of the Zhifu District Women's Federation and a caring enterprise, Xu Wenhua established her own studio. Before the 2017 Spring Festival, a businessman from Beijing visited her studio and was immediately drawn to a set of traditional paper-cuttings. Due to the busy holiday season, the set was sold for 2,800 yuan. Later, Xu Wenhua realized that the price was much lower than the market value and that she had not kept a copy. She felt regretful and asked for photocopies of the works.
During the Spring Festival, Xu Wenhua only took a break on New Year's Day. She spent the rest of the time creating paper-cuttings, completing the "100 Dogs Welcoming the New Year" series, which included numbers, text, cartoons, and elements of the Chinese Dream. Her works were often sold out at temple fairs, fishing lantern festivals, and Lantern Festival displays. "Some people would buy more than ten pieces at a time, especially at temple fairs where they were all sold out," Xu Wenhua said.
Bringing Paper-Cutting to the Classroom
Teaching paper-cutting in schools is an important part of Xu Wenhua's schedule, and she prepares meticulously. She not only prepares paper-cutting patterns and paper for the students but also sharpens the scissors for the children. "Before going to class, I have to spend time sharpening the scissors, package them, and bring them for the students to use," Xu Wenhua said.
Xu Wenhua teaches at Longhai Primary School, Aihua School, and Dingcheng Primary School in the Development Zone, with some schools arranging two lessons per week. "From 2011 to now, some children have grown from lower to higher grades, and they still enjoy my paper-cutting classes, even requesting more challenging designs. I feel energized knowing that I am cultivating an interest in paper-cutting among the children. The seeds of this craft's inheritance have already been sown," Xu Wenhua said.
Among her students, Xu Wenhua has also found some promising apprentices. "My apprentices are relatively stable and persistent. Even after they have children, they continue to teach their kids paper-cutting. This is how the tradition is passed down from generation to generation," she said.
Speaking of her feelings towards paper-cutting and the future, Xu Wenhua, now 65 years old, is full of hope. "I truly love paper-cutting and am determined to promote it, so that more people around the world can fall in love with Yantai paper-cutting."