Jupi T. Das, Papercutting Artist

Biography

My papercutting journey began in Beijing in the year 1993. Until then I didn't take any formal art classes other than those I took as a child in India. Language barriers ended up being gateways to new roads. I could not enroll in the art programs in Beijing’s universities due to my lack of fluency in Chinese language, so I plotted my own artistic course. I spent my time visiting the city’s museums and taking private Chinese watercolor lessons at home. I repeatedly stumbled across papercutting exhibitions in many galleries, museums, and other places in Beijing. Before moving to China, I had no idea of the popularity of papercutting among Chinese people.

I got my bachelor’s degree in Education from Guwahati University in Assam, India and persued another degree in Travel and Tourism in Harrisburg, PA. I practiced artwork with different mediums throughout my life. When I moved to United States in 1994, I still continued to practice with different mediums, but I never thought I would find my way to papercutting until the year 2000. I felt the urge to experiment with a new medium and thought back to my time in Beijing and the exhibitions I had attended. I tried my skill at papercutting. I started my journey with trips to the library, finding books, which taught me technique and the history of this art. Along with what I found in the books, I made my own drawings and started cutting the designs. That’s how I started my journey into the world of papercutting.

To rejuvenate this ancient tradition, I add elements from Chinese, Japanese, German, and Swiss traditions to my own style (we do also have a tradition of papercutting in India but, as in Mexico, those are used only for decorations at festivals). As a tool, I prefer to use knives rather than scissors. I mainly use origami and silhouette paper along with rice paper, which gives me the freedom to accent with watercolors and acyrilics and also makes them more attractive and sets them apart from traditional papercutings. I also mount some pieces on glass to give them a three-dimensional look.

I devote all of my time now to my art, as well as to my family. I opened my own studio and gallery in Downtown Harrisburg in August 2004. I do travel a lot for different juried art shows and gallery exhibits in many parts of the country. I am very proud for what I am doing and it really makes me feel rewarded when I get an award for my work. My greatest honor came in 2002 December when I received an invitation to represent Pennsylvania by crafting an ornament for the Christmas tree in the White House.

As a fulltime artist my goal is to breathe life into this dying art and inspire others to create. Life is too short; my dream would be to continue to create more artwork for this world to enjoy now and in the future.