Taiwan paper-cutting artist June June Wei is enhancing environmental awareness with his contemporary take on the traditional craft.
Inspired by encounters like the time he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a bright-eyed flying squirrel while hiking in one of Taiwan’s national forest recreation areas, Wei has been recreating local wildlife in paper. According to the artist, cutouts of animals provide a vivid reminder of the importance of preserving the natural environment and biodiversity.
Wei taught himself the craft through books and the internet in the early 2010s after gaining a doctoral degree in political economy from the Department of Sociology at Taichung City-based Tunghai University in central Taiwan. His academic background has helped him artistically by expanding his awareness of societal concerns and the plight of animals imperiled by human activities.
Wei’s works are on display at the International Bodhisattva Sangha temple complex in the central city of Taichung.
Describing his own work as a mixture of Eastern elements and Western motifs and styles, Wei said his preferred subject matter is protected and endangered animals native to Taiwan.
As he develops new techniques and hones his skills, Wei has been increasingly recognized for his masterful use of paper cutting pens to produce complex designs measuring more than one meter in height and width. In addition to scaling up the size of his artwork in recent years, he has begun taking his compositions to the next level by incorporating 3D effects via carefully placed lighting.
The artist’s exquisitely detailed creations have attracted the attention of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau. The wildlife imagery of his paper cuttings makes them perfect for helping foster an ecologically minded outlook among the public.
Elaborate foliage cutouts are representative of Wei’s focus on nature in his art.
Wei is thrilled to see his work add to a growing pool of educational materials enhancing curiosity about local ecosystems. The otter and grass owl featured in recent cuttings, for example, are endangered species targeted under the FB’s Payment for Ecosystem Services project, which rewards farmers who forego use of such toxic chemicals.
The artist often leads guided tours of his own exhibitions, as he loves in-person interactions with event patrons. He has also been invited to deliver lectures and share his expertise at locations like the Central Bookstore in Taichung.
After a decade of experimenting with paper cutting techniques and styles, Wei now splits his time between teaching and actualizing his artistic visions. It’s like alternating between sense and sensibility, he said, referring to the duality of both his schedule and way of thinking.
Wei (right) demonstrates his skills to participants during one of his classes on the traditional craft in Taichung.
Everyone looks at the world differently due to their personal frame of reference, the artist and scholar said. Wei is applying his unique perspective to his depictions of wildlife, with the wide-eyed stare of animals like the squirrel continuing to shine in his mind’s eye. (E) (By Pat Gao)
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(This article is adapted from Natural Cut in the May/June Issue 2022 of Taiwan Review. The Taiwan Review archives dating to 1951 are available online.)