世界杯剪纸 Paper-cutting Works of World Cup

Chang Yangyang, 23, artist, recently recreated images of World Cup heroes with black and red paper-cutting works in Mengjin county, central China's Henan province.

Using traditional skills, Meng portrays Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina's Lionel Andres Messi and Brazilian player Neymar da Silva Santos Junior vividly on paper with his scissors.


 

Paper-cutting is one of the most popular folk arts in China. Traditionally speaking, scissors or knives are used to carve out the designs of people, flowers, birds or animals on red paper.

Paper-cutting is an art form of carvings. It cannot depict complicated or three-dimensional objects due to restraints of materials and techniques. Therefore, craftsmen must use the simplest lines to pop out striking features, pursuing the acme of an excellent likeness not in appearance but in inner state. For example, if the paper-cutting is about a person, the facial design would only focus on eyes, as the eyes could ultimately bring out the inner state of the person. Paper-cutting pays special attention to accessories. Flowers would be carved out on people's clothes while designs of a sawtooth and crescent moon would frequently appear on the body of animals.


[chuán tǒng yì shù] 传统艺术 traditional arts
[xǔ xǔ rú shēng] 栩栩如生 as vivid as life
[xíng sì] 形似 likeness in inner state
[shén sì]神似 likeness in appearance