Chinese Paper-Cutting Art Exhibition (Florence, Italy)
INTRODUCTION
A sheet of paper can be as light as a feather, yet hold within it mountains and rivers, the passage of time, festivals, blessings, and the texture of everyday life.
Chinese paper-cutting is one of the most distinctive forms of folk art in traditional Chinese culture. It is also a living form of cultural expression, created, handed down, and continually renewed over the centuries. Ancient in origin and practised throughout China, it is deeply woven into everyday life, seasonal festivals, family and life-cycle rituals, and customary beliefs. For generations, with little more than a pair of scissors and a sheet of paper, people have transformed their respect for nature, affection for family, wishes for happiness, and hopes for a better life into vivid works of art. In 2009, Chinese paper-cutting was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming part of a cultural heritage recognized and cherished around the world.
More than a craft, paper-cutting is a cultural language. Using scissors and knives as brushes, it creates a distinctive visual world through the interplay of positive and negative space. Through line, pattern, rhythm, and imagery, it gives form to Chinese aesthetic sensibilities, the wisdom of everyday life, and human emotion. Each work reflects the ingenuity of its maker while carrying the imprint of a place, a period of history, and a shared cultural memory. From the civilization of the Yellow River to the water towns of Jiangnan; from festivals and rites to rural life; from historical figures to auspicious motifs; from folk traditions to urban memory—Chinese paper-cutting reveals the enduring creativity of Chinese culture through a remarkable variety of subjects and regional styles.
The Chinese Paper-Cutting Art Exhibition brings together works by more than ten master practitioners recognized at the national level as representative bearers of this intangible cultural heritage tradition. Alongside them are outstanding works from different regions of China, works representing the Shanghai tradition, historically significant paper-cuts, and new creations inspired by the dialogue between Shanghai and Florence. Together, they reveal the artistic excellence, regional diversity, historical depth, and contemporary vitality of Chinese paper-cutting.
The works on view range from traditional subjects to contemporary interpretations. They bring together classic motifs passed down through generations and new creations inspired by cultural exchange between China and Italy. From the Yellow River and the imagery of ancient civilization to the water towns of Jiangnan and the urban culture of Shanghai, and onward to the landmarks of Florence and visual narratives shared by the two cities, these images in paper cross geography, time, and culture. Through the singular language of paper-cutting, they tell stories of China while engaging with human themes shared across the world.
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is one of the world’s great cities of art. Shanghai is a global city where historical depth and contemporary energy coexist. Although thousands of miles apart, both cities continue to inspire new forms of creativity through openness and cultural exchange. Using paper-cutting as a bridge, this exhibition brings traditional Chinese art into dialogue with Florence, fostering mutual understanding, deepening friendship, and opening new possibilities for exchange between cultures.
May every visitor who enters the gallery encounter, in these images cut from paper, a China that is vivid, sincere, and poetic. These works carry stories from afar, yet beyond language and distance they speak to feelings we all share: a love of beauty, respect for life, devotion to family, and the hope for peace and friendship.
May this exhibition be a meeting through art, an exchange between cultures, and a continuation of friendship. May every cut become a fine thread linking China and Italy, and every work a lasting testament to the capacity of different cultures to understand, appreciate, and respect one another.
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Dates: 28 June–2 July 2026
Venue: Centro Espositivo Antonio Berti
Address: Via Pietro Bernini, 57, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy