Wycinanki – Polish Paper Cuts

About

St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery are delighted to present the Horniman Museums touring exhibition Wycinanki – Polish Paper Cuts as we seek to encourage a wider appreciation of the World, its peoples and their cultures, and its environments.

The exhibition brings together twenty-four examples of the Polish folk art 'Wycinanki' - pronounced 'Vee-chee-non-kee' which is the Polish word for 'paper-cut design'. Perhaps modelled on a Jewish decorative tradition, 'Wycinanki' originated as an inexpensive means of decorating the home and were popular from the mid-19th century. They were generally made by women using sheep-shearing scissors and any readily available paper and replaced each spring when homes were whitewashed. Paper cuts were sometimes made for religious festivals and family celebrations; these designs have a set iconography, cockerels at Easter for example. The design of the Polish pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010 is based on a Wycinanki pattern whilst British artist Robert Ryan's work has brought paper cuts to a new audience.

This touring exhibition was commissioned by the Horniman Museum includes work by renowned artists. Curator Justyna Pyz says: "This collection of Wycinanki is remarkably diverse and represents a fantastic opportunity to discover a folk art which has flourished and continues to develop in Poland and which influences artists worldwide."