Inheritor cuts everyday life into art

Photo shows a paper-cutting artwork by Liu Guanyu. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

At the ceremony for the 17th Shanhua Award, China's highest folk art honor, Liu Guanyu, a paper-cutting artist and third-generation inheritor of Xuzhou paper cutting born in the 1990s, won a prize. The prize-winning series, made up of 100 pieces and completed over two years, captures the warmth of everyday life, rural memories, and human emotion within the delicate space of a sheet of paper.

Born in Peixian county, Xuzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Liu picked up scissors at the age of 5 or 6, learning simple decorative patterns from his mother.

His artistic journey deepened in 2013 when he entered university in east China's Anhui Province. Away from home, he began expressing homesickness through paper cutting, creating his "homesickness" series.

Photo shows a paper-cutting artwork by Liu Guanyu. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

A year later, under the guidance of Ge Tingyou, a crafts and arts master in Anhui, and later national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor Wang Guiying, Liu received systematic training in the craft.

During his junior and senior years, Liu transformed moments from his mother's daily life into 53 paper-cutting works, earning attention in artistic circles and helping shape his personal style.

After graduating, Liu worked as a graphic designer while continuing to practice paper cutting every day. This period of his life inspired a new series drawn from the small moments of his daily routine.

Photo shows a paper-cutting artwork by Liu Guanyu. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Liu's work stands out for its bold simplicity. While traditional paper cutting often favors intricate red designs, he adopts a more expressive, minimalist style with vibrant colors and layered compositions. He integrates classic techniques such as serrated patterns with modern design principles like contrast, balance, and spatial composition, influenced by his training in visual communication.

He has also experimented with multi-layered collage. His piece "Let Me Cut the Flowers," which took over 500 hours to complete, embodies this exploration, blending traditional motifs with multi-layered collage.

In 2023, Liu left his design job to focus full-time on paper cutting. He opened a small workshop in Xuzhou, transforming his art into everyday items like fridge magnets, keychains, and postcards.

Liu Guanyu creates a paper-cutting artwork. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

He also incorporated local landmarks, cuisine, and cultural symbols into his designs. The shift proved successful, boosting daily sales from 800 yuan (about $117) to 8,000 yuan.

Liu's collaboration with pop singer Xu Song further expanded his reach. Liu designed a paper-cut artwork for Xu's concert, blending the singer's logo with Xuzhou's landmarks. The piece went viral, prompting audiences to rediscover the art form.

Committed to passing on the tradition, Liu has taught paper cutting in more than 50 schools and mentored over 200 young learners. His tutorials and works shared on social media have racked up over 5 million views.