Slicing into the future

"It was during my time in Singapore that I realized that an artist can only inject life into his art when he creates something based on his own life experiences."

Li Shoubai returned to Shanghai after the turn of the millennium and eventually created his own style of painting, which features a strong contrast of colors and a mix of Chinese and Western watercolor techniques. He also experimented with blending wood-cutting styles into his paper-cutting creations, which were often of traditional Chinese symbols and modern architecture.

"Through my work, I want to pass on the traditional paper-cutting technique in the context of metropolitan Shanghai," he says.

Li Shoubai also views his daughter as a means to promote traditional paper-cutting to the world.

To achieve this, he has been sending her abroad to gain experience and hone her language skills.

The father-and-daughter duo have promoted the art form in many international events over the years. Some of the notable events include the 2012 World Expo in South Korea, the 2017 World Expo in Kazakhstan and the WorldSkills Kazan 2019 in Russia.

"What we are doing now is making paper-cutting a popular culture again. Paper-cutting art should not be limited to museums or passed down only among inheritors," he says.

"With just a pair of scissors and a piece of paper, everyone can enter the world of traditional paper-cutting."