Have you ever thought old walls could tell stories? 🏚️ Well, artist Chen Fenwan did just that! She turned peeling walls from old buildings into amazing paper-cut art called “A Wall.” 🎨
On March 2, 2025, at the Nanchizi Museum in Beijing, Chen’s artwork was featured in the “Dian Xi Yi Ben – Shadow Puppetry and Contemporary Art Exhibition.” But what’s so special about it?
Chen visited Taipingxu, a village in south China’s Guangdong Province. It used to be a busy market and a lively place, but now it’s almost abandoned. She noticed the walls of old buildings were peeling, leaving unique marks and textures.
🌟 Here’s the cool part: She carefully collected these wall peelings and matched them with the nicknames of the people who used to live there! Each mark told a story.
Using paper-cutting—an ancient Chinese art where designs are cut out of paper—Chen recreated over 600 pieces of these wall coverings. ✂️ She named and numbered each one, bringing the village’s past back to life through art.
“The traces on the buildings are like carvings made by time,” Chen says. “They capture moments from history pushing forward.”
Her work helps us remember the stories of the people from Taipingxu. It shows that even in forgotten places, there are tales waiting to be told. 📖
If you’re in Beijing, maybe you can check out her amazing artwork and see how she made history come alive with paper and creativity on display in 2025! 🖼️
Reference(s):
Works by female paper-cutting artist tells story behind old buildings
cgtn.com
