My journey with the Chinese paper-cutting art (Jianzhi) began as a way to connect with my cultural roots and explore how it reflects gender dynamics and feminist ideas within a Chinese context. Drawing from traditional motifs, I reinterpret these forms to address gender issues, especially the historical and social expectations that have shaped the lives of Chinese women. As I engage with Jianzhi, I use it not just as a decorative folk art but as a narrative tool that allows me to critique, examine, and visualise complex social themes within a familiar, yet evolving cultural framework.
In my practice, I transform traditional symbols into modern allegorical stories. One story, inspired by “Mouse Eating Grapes,” explores themes of the ‘left behind’ demographic within today’s globalised social context, contrasting Western and traditional Chinese perspectives by juxtaposing familiar symbols like Mickey Mouse with the mouse motif in Jianzhi. A second story, derived from “Fish Playing with Lotus,” addresses gender awakening and the experience of growing up as a woman in a society that expects compliance. Here, the lotus symbolises fertility, and the fish embodies masculinity, representing the often-unspoken social pressures on women. The third story, rooted in the motif “Snake Coiling Rabbit,” examines themes of wealth, beauty, and exploitation, reflecting the power dynamics that persist in Chinese society.
Through these stories, I aim to bridge the traditional with the contemporary, using the visual language of Jianzhi to question and reinterpret gender roles. By embedding these narratives into my work, I hope to inspire reflection on the evolution of women’s roles within Chinese contexts, inviting viewers to engage with the complexity of gender and identity in today’s globalised world.
I am not a Tool for Carrying on the Family Lineage. Mixed media installation, 2023.
Eva During 伊娃卓灵 