Liu Ren cuts paper. This artist, originally from Beijing, has been practicing her craft for over two decades with the same passion. So much so that she opened Beijing's first private paper cutting museum.

Liu Ren is not a typical artist. This 51-year does not handle a brush or a chisel, but rather a pair of scissors and some paper. Self-taught from the age of 9, when she first became interested in the art, she continued this practice for another two decades before opening Beijing's first private museum dedicated to this art.

On a sunny day, Liu Ren's house's red door suddenly appears at a lane's bend in the commercial district of Xidan, in west Beijing. Instead of a forward artist that you would imagine, we find an elegant and warm woman, who welcomes us into a tiny courtyard strewn with vines and plants. The basin filled with goldfish and aquatic weeds adds to the cool and relaxing atmosphere of the premises.

The inside of the museum is dominated by a red hue. Paper cuts of all shapes and sizes cover the entire room, from the walls to the ceiling, and including the various tables and shelves. Each work is carefully crafted in minute details, and the shapes of lotus, birds, insects, fishes seem animated in pieces varying from a few centimeters to landscapes of several meters long.

Her personal collection gathers creations from all over the world. We can thusly admire the Swiss style, full of vivacity, the folksy aspect of the Shanxi province (north-eastern China) and the Zen side of Japan.

Realizing a dream

"In the early 90's, at a time when I was exhibiting here and there, I had the idea of opening a private museum to perpetuate this traditional art," she explains while cutting ancient poems, her latest conceptions.

"This was my mother-in-law's home. When she moved, the whole family was consulted and it was decided to transform the place," she adds. Consisting of two rooms, the residence is home to an exhibition hall that also serves as workshop and living quarters arranged tastefully by Liu Ren and her husband.

This house is sort of a dream come true: to materialize her passion for the art. "My love for cutting paper came through fine arts, which have always fascinated me since I was child," she confides in us while the room fills of the perfume of green tea.

Today still, Liu Ren continues to express her feelings by painting and writing poetry. These practices, just like paper cutting, allow her to access a certain kind of beauty.

Since the opening of the museum, Liu Ren has shown her work and cutting techniques to visitors from around the world. She divides them into "ten rules for folding and seven for cutting."

In addition to presentations in schools, she also offers individual lessons. She has students from all continents and all ages, the youngest disciple is only 4 years old, and the oldest is 92 years old. "A novice can learn the basic techniques in one or two hours," she promises. And concludes: "This is one way for me to share my dream with them."

Text : Xiao Feige
Photos : Wang Zhuo
February 2008