Paper-cut artist draws inspiration from ethnic cultures

Wang recalls her grandmother was skilled at cutting traditional window decorations for weddings and Spring Festival, while her mother embroidered lifelike paper-cut patterns on items such as shoes, cuffs and towels.

"Paper cutting is a combination of folk art and daily life," said Wang, who graduated from the art department of Xinjiang Normal University. During her decades of paper cutting she has been inspired by real-life experiences, especially those relating to ethnic culture in the region. She often travels to Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu prefectures in southern Xinjiang to explore how local ethnic people live.

One of her works features 20 people dressed in traditional costumes with musical instruments in hand, singing and dancing under a grape arbor.

Wang saw the lively scene at a village bazaar when she was traveling in Aksu. "In villages in southern Xinjiang, bazaars are held often. When the market opens, people dance to the music. People spontaneously join in, dancing to the rhythm in a cheerful atmosphere," Wang said.

Their dance movements, reflecting everyday life, remain an integral part of paper-cut scenes. "Such details can better reflect the warm, simple and hardworking character of the Uygur people," Wang said.