Introduction to Shui Folk Paper-cutting

Aquatic paper-cutting is almost always used as a base for clothing embroidery, including sleeve flowers, shoulder flowers, back fan flowers, apron flowers, shoe flowers, beanie flowers, pocket flowers and other patterns. Paper-cutting has a strong sense of life and a simple style. It is mostly used in horsetail embroidery and patchwork appliqué. The former is mainly based on flowing curves, forming a symmetrical pattern; the latter is simple, rough and vigorous. Pay attention to neatness, symmetry, balance and rigor in composition. In terms of content, I like to use virtual auspicious animals such as dragons and phoenixes, various strange landscapes of nature such as the sun and moon, common animals and plants such as birds, animals, flowers and plants, as well as characters and various geometric patterns as creative materials. In particular, the eagle spreading its wings and the galloping horse are the most favored by paper-cutting artists, showing the strong, unrestrained, heroic and fearless national character of the Shui people.

Womens embroidered shoes are decorated with wavy patterns and wild flower patterns, mostly as a memory of their ancestors' living habits near the water and their migration history along the river banks. The paper-cut back fan flowers of horsetail embroidery are basically symmetrical patterns composed of flowing curves. The main flowers are mostly square (or rectangular), with butterfly-shaped compositions as the main theme, and the style is light and unrestrained. It can be known from aquatic legends that butterflies are a symbol of auspiciousness. They are embroidered on the back fan to protect the healthy growth of children. The technique is connected with wave-like curves and covers the entire pattern, giving people the visual effect of being on the water. This is also Memories of ancestors’ experiences and migration history.

There are two ways to make aquatic paper-cut patterns: cutting and engraving. They usually draw on paper first and then cut and engrave. Most of the paper-cutting artists are women, and they are good at innovating and integrating, with realistic shapes and strong three-dimensionality.