In the realm of art, where brush meets canvas or fingers glide over clay, there lies a delicate dance of blade and paper known as paper cutting.

In 1997, on one particularly cold and rainy New England winter day, a splash of vibrant origami papers brought to mind the California sunshine, and Jian Gao suddenly had an urge to resume an art form that she had learned as a hobby growing up in China.

With an eye for the exquisite interplay of Yin and Yang, and a vivid imagination that infuses life into each cut, Jian transforms ordinary sheets of paper into breathtaking works of art. Drawing inspiration from nature, folklore, urban landscapes, personal memories, and cultural heritage, Jian’s art evokes a sense of wonder and introspection.

Statement

In my art, I am in constant search for the image that best reflects my emotional and spiritual journey. Paper cutting provides a uniquely descriptive medium for this exploration.  The whisper of the knife, the gentle curves of the cuts on paper, and the evolving image all merge into a rhythmic cadence that lulls the mind.  Each precise cut is a moment of focus. Each curve and slice is a meditation in itself.  The world’s noises fade into background, and I am engulfed in the tactile symphony of blade on paper.  The act becomes rhythmic, almost trance-like, inviting a profound sense of calm and presence.  There is no room for distraction.  One misstep, one lapse in concentration, and the artwork could deviate from its intended path.  Awareness of the present moment, a necessity in paper cutting, mirrors the principles of deep meditation, where one’s consciousness is anchored firmly in the here and now.  The play of contrasts, the presence of the paper, the absence created by the cut, describe the sunlight and the night in an image, the full moon and the new.  The flow of the curves reflects the motion in an image, the water, the wind, or a butterfly’s wing.  The jeweled patterns mirror the many symmetries in nature and in our relationships.

CV

Teacher - Author - Consultant 1982 - Present

www.chinesewithease.com

您观赏的剪纸是我用刀在纸上镂出来的故事刻出来的诗行。

都说，风雅一杯茶，逍遥一壶酒。于我，风雅和逍遥有时候是一把刻刀和一张纸。只要我想，喜欢的景物便会来到眼前来到手边。台灯下，我铺一张纸在刻板上，或临摹或改编或勾画想要刻的图案，然后一刀一刀地去镂刻那树那鸟那浪那眉眼儿那……随着千百次轻柔准确的刀起刀落，一条条一柳柳一块块一点点的纸屑便像是枝草花瓣儿散落在指尖在桌面上地板上。

 每刻完一幅，剪纸里的意境便会飘来我耳边轻声说：多美呀！太醉人了呀！可不是吗，这些剪纸记录了日子里的痕迹，讲述了岁月里的沉香，放牧了我的心灵，放飞了某些不切实际的遐想，容许我把恼人的心事，难解的思念以及纷扬在红尘中的微尘都稳妥地安放在了里面。刻剪纸的时候，我听得见内心深处的独白，安静地享受着眼前手边这些细碎的美，和这一段段独处的清喜时光。刻剪纸的过程即愉悦又静谧，重复着谨慎细密的动作更是灵巧了手指瑜伽了心神，暖我沉溺在跟万物缠绵的欢喜里。

 我每回翻开文件夹，存放在里面大大小小三百多幅剪纸便是索引，牵着我去盘点光阴里的人和事。偶尔，我会跟其中的一幅剪纸对话，往事即飘渺又真实地交织着忽悠我转换中的记忆。

 这些用极普通工具和材料刻出来的剪纸大都含有：阴与阳，动与静，存在与虚无，揭示与隐藏。我的作品是我被日常美俘虏了的见证，是我心灵里的秘密画廊，是我写给大自然的情书。

我的作品更是一份我对生命的庆祝。

美丽无处不在。故事仍在继续。