Cheryl Chidester – Wycinanki 1 – The Polish folk art of paper-cutting

Wycinanki – The Polish folk art form of Wycinanki ([vɨt͡ɕiˈnaŋkʲi])
Paper
2019-2020
5×7 or 6×6
Ready made or by commission

(Vytynanky (Витина́нки) in Ukraine or Vycinanki (Выцінанкі) in Belarus) is the Slavic version of the art form of paper-cutting, Originating with the use shepherds’ sheep shears to cut freehand designs out of tree bark and leather, wycinanki were pasted on furniture or roof beams as decoration, hung in windows, and given as gifts. While symmetry is a character of many designs, wycinanki varys by region. For example, wycinanki created in the Kurpie region are typically all one color, while wycinanki from the Łowicz region are multicolored ( Techniques include cutting, clipping, punching, tearing, and carving of paper, as well as nalepianki in which multiple layers are glued together.