Life and Leisure
A leaf cut above the rest
By Xiang Mingchao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-30 08:08
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Folk artist Yu Guiming has turned over a new leaf - or, more precisely, he has folded and cut one into a replica of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
Leaf sculpting is a traditional skill in Yu's hometown, Shangcheng county in Central China's Henan province. It dates back to AD 75, when people used to write on leaves before the invention of paper.
It evolved into a folk art in which practitioners slice the leaves to shape pictures, in a way similar to paper cutting.
But leaf cutting is on the edge of extinction. It has been fading since the last century because the stiffness of the leaves makes it necessary to create just simple images.
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The process involves boiling a chemical mix and then steaming thick, frosted and flat poplar and chinar leaves that are at least a year old. Then, the leaves are pressed on plates and scraped under a magnifying glass until translucent. The preparations take at least a week.
Yu's grandfather was one of the last leaf-cutting masters and placed great hope on his grandson preserving the craft. The family has a rich tradition of practicing folk arts, including calligraphy, painting and pyrography.
"This is a precious legacy from our ancestors," Yu says. "As a folk artist, I have the obligation and responsibility to protect it and carry it into the future."
But soon after mastering the basic techniques, Yu realized the art form required innovation to survive.
The Mona Lisa was his first success to this end.
"I knew about the painting when I was very young and admired Da Vinci so much," Yu says.
He says he was so overcome with joy upon completing his version of Mona Lisa that he cried. The work reflects both the vividness of the original painting and the completeness of the nervure, Yu says.
Yu plans to organize classes or establish his own studio to introduce and teach the tradition in Shangcheng.
"I want more people from the younger generation to understand the beauty of this art and the importance of preserving it," Yu says.
He has been encouraged to see local artists' revived interest in the art form and believes such a sophisticated craftwork will do well on the market.
The county has even listed leaf sculpting in the second-place spot of its "top 10 new discoveries of intangible cultural heritage of Henan province in 2010".
"I've discussed it with my family and am determined to keep doing and teaching this, even if it fails on the market," Yu says.
"I must do so, because of my personal interest and the duty that comes with inheriting this legacy."
Li Lianxing contributed to the story.
China Daily