The ideal world in Wang Jiru’s paper-cut creations
"Life"——For rural people who have grown up in relatively poor natural environment for a long time, it is a kind of helplessness. They must survive in hardships, find joy in suffering, and find spiritual food in joy. The lack of material forces more folk artists to place all their hopes, expectations, happiness and illusory wealth on the spirit.
Wang Jiru is the epitome of this kind of life. Having experienced hardships, she always treasures the eternal ideals and wishes deep in her heart. Chinese traditional culture is an organic unity. People advocate the concept of "harmony between man and nature", advocating the integration of man and the world, and the interweaving of reality and ideals.
Most of Wang Jirus paper-cuts are based on intuitive insights and deep experience of life, describing and explaining real life situations or living conditions, following the realistic principle of traditional Chinese culture. She attaches great importance to the harmonious coexistence between people and nature, people and animals, and people and plants. She often uses real life content in her paper-cuttings to reflect ideal lifestyles or ideal family relationships.
For example, "When a horse carries ingots, the descendants will come early" is based on the most common scene in real life in rural areas, that is, the scene of a farmer leading a horse back with a full load. However, the author is not limited to this simple statement. She places ingots on horses. To realize ones own subjective consciousness aiming at practical needs, that is, ones own ideal wishes - the horse carries Yuanbao, and the descendants will come early. "Butterflies make melons and grains fill the house", "Monkey rides on sheep, stronger than people", "Chicken and fish (homophone for opportunity)", "Lions and mice hang above their heads, good days come from generation to generation", etc. are also written in realistic terms. things to satisfy the desires of one’s soul. The authors thought is a simple thought, and the description of reality and the pursuit of ideals are simple and honest. It is not a profound academic theory, but it can make people understand its reasonableness.
