Ever heard of kirie? It’s the Japanese art of paper cutting and literally means ‘cut picture’. This traditional craft is certainly not easy to accomplish. Imagine placing intricate cuts in a single sheet of white paper to create something that stands out in stark details against a dark background.
Upholding the Japanese age-old tradition, that has been around since 700 AD, is Masayo Fukuda, a master of kirie. She has been enthralling her viewers with her works for the last 25 years. One glance at her intricate creations and you get away with the impression that the pieces are made from several overlapped layers or appear to have been drawn by a fine-tipped ballpoint pen. The reality is that each and every detail in these pieces is meticulously made from cut-out negative space in a single white sheet.
One of Fukuda’s latest renderings is a stunning lace-like octopus that she considers her highlight creation of 2018. She has painstakingly cut-out this majestic sea creature in fine details from a single sheet of a white A2 sheet, shaping its rounded body, bulging eyes, and eight long arms.
At first glance this elaborate work appears like a delicately patterned lace, what with swirling patterns on the head, arm suckers imitating ornamental doilies and much else. This cut-work certainly turns this incredible creature unique, that is known to change its skin color and texture better and quicker than a chameleon to match its surroundings.
Fukuda exhibits her collection of amazing kirie designs at Miraie Gallery in Osaka, Japan that can be viewed from April 24 to 30, 2019. If visiting Japan is not possible, you can view her major collection on her Instagram page and at specific websites on the net. Little wonder Fukuda’s kirie enjoys a sizeable following on the internet.
Recently, She creates intricately detailed octopus out of paper, the work seems like using many tools and pasting of papers but actually, She cut out all that details on a single paper.
Masayo Fukuda
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