Paper-cutting pioneer fuses scissors with software

Today, a complex portrait is first meticulously decomposed by computer into over a dozen color separation films, which Hao then uses as a guide to spend months handcrafting the piece layer by layer using scissors and carving knives. For a work over 2 meters long, this process requires upwards of 800 hours of painstaking labor, often performed late into the night.

"For a piece over 2 meters like this, the fastest takes three to four months. We are busy during the day, so we can only work at night," Hao said.

Beyond structural complexity, Hao has pioneered dyed paper-cutting, fusing the painting techniques of the legendary Yangliuqing New Year paintings with the hollowed-out essence of paper-cutting. By applying washes of color to white paper blanks, she achieves a brilliance that she describes as "keeping the soul while breaking the form". This innovation has transitioned the craft from village tradition to international diplomacy; her works, such as the national gift piece Along the River During the Qingming Festival, now act as cultural ambassadors for China's "soft power" on the global stage.

The resilience required for such meticulous work is rooted in Hao's challenging yet resilient life. Her childhood was spent in a traditional large family in Taitou village, Jinghai district, Tianjin. "Back then, the whole family had nearly 100 members, and my grandmother managed all the needlework for the household," Hao said.

Paper-cutting was originally used as patterns for family embroidery. Her grandmother would cut the designs and paste them onto cloth as guides for embroidery. These patterns — ranging from floral motifs on cuffs to the "five poisonous creatures" (the toad, scorpion, centipede, snake and lizard) used to ward off evil — served as Hao's earliest introduction to folk aesthetics.

However, it was a severe spinal injury in the 1970s that formally solidified her bond with the craft.