Tina Jing Ru Shen is currently a freshman at Macaulay Honors College in Baruch. She has been trained in the traditional art of paper cutting since the age of 6, under a renowned artist Mr. Ming Liang Lu. Paper cutting is the traditional art of cutting paper designs. It is an art passed down from the 6th century Six Dynasties period in Xinjiang, China and requires the utmost control of the paper and scissor blade. Between 2006 and 2011, Tina has been able to actively participate in events that displayed her skills and experience in paper cutting.

Amy: How did you start paper cutting? What made you so dedicated to it? Why did you begin at such an early age? Is it a familial or cultural tradition?

Tina: My family does not have a tradition in cutting paper actually. I learned Chinese paper cutting from classes. The paper cutting classes I took were at a Chinese cultural center that taught Chinese traditional dance. The director of the center gave us a tour through the center, and we passed by the paper cutting class. According to my mom, I was intrigued by what they were doing so they let me sit down to have a demo class. My teacher realized that I was much more patient than the other kids, so he took interest in me and believed that I could have a future in paper cutting. Weeks became months, and months became years, and years became twelve years.

Amy: What has learning paper cutting taught you? Have you learned about your culture and why these skills have been passed down from generation to generation?

Tina: When I was younger, I enjoyed paper cutting because it allowed me to relax and forget about school work. But in the past few years, after being asked to perform at many Chinese culture-related events, I realized how important learning Chinese paper cutting is – especially for an American born Chinese like me. Although Chinese paper cutting is only one little aspect of Chinese culture, I feel very connected to my native culture. Studying in LaGuardia also helped me understand that Chinese paper cutting is an expression of history. Many believe that paper cuts only have aesthetic value in that you put it on your windows to enliven your home appearance, but it is much deeper than that. I think that Chinese paper cutting can actually connect different cultures in the future – at least that is what I hope to do.

Amy:  How has your teacher, Ming Liang Lu, influenced and inspired your paper cutting style?

Tina: Ming has helped me develop my own style of paper cutting – which is more caricature than traditional. He studied all forms of traditional Chinese art when he was in Shanghai, but after he came here to teach paper cutting, he invented his own interpretations of animals, scenery, and portraits in cutting. His more modernistic approach rubbed off on me and now I can proudly say that I combine modern cartoon motifs with traditional designs.

Amy: What difficulties did you face when dancing? Were you able to overcome them? If so, what gave you the persistence and diligence to do so?

Tina: Some difficulties I faced were managing my time to allow for time to paper cut. I always did things slowly – especially schoolwork. Other students took less time to do homework, and I sometimes had to stay up until midnight to finish my work because not only was I slow, I also had paper cutting to do. Especially when I was invited to perform somewhere and had to have a large work completed, I stayed up late many nights. I guess if you are committing to any of all the arts trouble with time management is common.

Amy: How has your paper cutting style developed over the years? Did it change as you matured and gained more experience? Were the basics still the same?

Tina: For the basics, I always use what my teacher taught me. But now that I seek to make innovative work, I use my own artistic and life experiences in my work. I plan to combine Western art with Chinese art in my paper cutting even more in the future.

Amy: What did you like most about learning the art of paper cutting?

Tina: When I was studying Chinese paper cutting, I was always excited for the next class only because Ming was planning to teach something new. I always liked trying and learning new things and that is probably why paper cutting has stuck with me all these years.

Amy: What does paper cutting mean, to you? Is it a way of expressing yourself? Or is it a way to stay close to your roots?

Tina: Chinese paper cutting, to me, or even art in general, is an expression of the artist’s emotions on a specific topic: it could be a concept or a historical event. Sometimes art can be a story that the artist develops through what he/she absorbs from their surroundings. I also believe that art can connect people from different cultures because art is universal. Although Chinese paper cutting derived from China, it can be interpreted in many different forms, and, in my case, I think I can apply Western art design and concepts to Chinese paper cutting. In 2012 when I went to the United Nations, the UN Ambassador to China said that I could become the bridge between the United States and China. I hope to work to that statement and actually unite the two different cultures through Chinese paper cutting. During my demonstrations and mini classes at cultural events, children of all ethnicities participate in the classes. They’re not Chinese, but why are they so interested in the art? So again, I think Chinese paper cutting can become a universal thing.

Check out Tina’s website!