In my "Death by a Thousand Paper Cuts" series, I explore the delicate balance between vulnerability and resilience, drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese concept of "lingchi" - death by a thousand cuts. Through the medium of paper cutting, I create intricate works that embody the tension between holding on and letting go, the internal and the external.
Each piece in this series is a visual metaphor for the accumulation of small wounds that can ultimately lead to profound transformation. The stark contrast of white paper against vibrant red backgrounds represents the duality of pain and enlightenment, echoing Rumi's words, "The wound is the place where the light enters you."
The wound is the place where the light enters you, 2024
The wound is the place where the light enters you detail
As I engage with this work, I find myself in a paradoxical struggle. The series title itself becomes a metaphor for my artistic process - a reflection of the internal conflict between the desire to push through repetitive, sometimes painful creation and the fear that this persistence might lead to a form of artistic "death." This tension mirrors the pottery class parable, where quantity supposedly leads to quality, yet I grapple with the challenge of completing numerous works.
The Chinese title "束手束腳" (shù shǒu shù jiǎo), meaning "bound hands and feet," takes on a dual meaning. It not only explores themes of external constraint and liberation but also represents my own feelings of being restricted by self-imposed artistic expectations.
束手束腳 (bound hands and feet), 2024
Through this series, I invite viewers to contemplate the transformative power of small, repeated actions and the beauty that can emerge from vulnerability. Yet, it also serves as a personal exploration of artistic resilience and the question of whether pushing through creative pain ultimately leads to growth or exhaustion.
This body of work challenges both the viewer and myself to consider the fine line between dedication and self-destruction in the pursuit of art. It is an ongoing dialogue about the human capacity to endure, the potential for renewal that lies within our wounds, and the complex relationship between an artist and their craft.
