Exhibition explores traditional shadow images as it reinterprets art form, Li Yingxue reports.

On a bright afternoon in Beijing, stepping into a traditional courtyard just east of the Forbidden City feels like entering another world. Beyond the weathered rock garden, a mesmerizing interplay of light and movement unfolds, blending centuries-old artistry with modern innovation.

In the courtyard's water feature, six mechanical red koi, inspired by intricate paper-cut designs, glide in fluid, circular motions from the depths to the surface. Titled Leaping, this dynamic art installation by Cui Xiaoqing captures the delicate grace of both traditional craftsmanship and kinetic art.

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Inside the main exhibition hall, a striking shadow puppet figure of the legendary female warrior, Mu Guiying, of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), towers several meters high. As sunlight filters through ornate lattice windows, its shifting reflections merge with the rippling water outside. Poised with spear in hand, the puppet almost appears alive. This piece, Peach Blossom Horse, now on show at Nanchizi Museum in Beijing, is the work of 56-year-old Wang Haiyan, a fourth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, a Huaxian shadow puppetry family versed in the national intangible cultural heritage from Huaxian county, Weinan, Shaanxi province. These inheritors, based in Xi'an, Shaanxi, are known for making shadow puppets, and especially for their carving skills.

Curated by Zhang Yuyang, Dian Xi Yi Ben — Shadow Puppetry and Contemporary Art Exhibition brings together contemporary artists and three generations of Wang's Shadow Puppetry in a display of paintings, sculptures and installations that reinterpret traditional shadow puppetry and paper-cutting.

"The goal is to translate traditional shadow puppetry and paper-cutting into a contemporary visual language," Zhang says. "By integrating modern aesthetics, the exhibition breathes new life into traditional art forms."

This exhibition, co-hosted by the Nanchizi Museum and Wang's Shadow Puppetry, runs until April 13. According to 25-year-old Dang Feihua, a fifth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, the phrase Dian Xi Yi Ben ("to order a special performance out of a catalog of choices") originates in a traditional Shaanxi shadow puppetry saying. "In the past, only those with an extensive collection and a skilled troupe could display a Dian Xi Yi Ben sign during performances at festivals, weddings or funerals. It was a mark of family strength," Dang explains.

The exhibition opens with a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) shadow puppet piece called Dian Xi Yi Ben, and a huqin, a traditional stringed instrument used in puppetry performances from the same era. Beneath them, two open puppet cases symbolize kai xiang, or "opening the case", a theatrical tradition by shadow puppetry troupes marking their first performance after each Spring Festival.

Three generations of Wang's Shadow Puppetry inheritors are showcasing their distinctive work.

Besides fourth-generation artist Wang Haiyan, 74-year-old third-generation master Wang Tianwen exhibits Havoc in Heaven, an intricate blend of shadow puppetry and traditional Chinese gongbi painting (a refined, realistic style). It depicts the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong in the Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel written in the 16th century, with light filtering through fine details to create multilayered hues. "My grandfather Wang Tianwen merged shadow puppetry with gongbi painting, refining the craft through exceptional detail," Dang explains.

As the youngest inheritor, Dang brings a more dynamic and creative touch to his work. His piece Shadow Puppetry MBTI transforms MBTI personality traits (an analysis system based on Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung's theory of personality types) into shadow puppet representations, reflecting the way shadow plays shape characters based on personalities.

"My MBTI type is ENTJ, and I carefully studied each personality profile, integrating cultural elements into the designs," he says. "For example, INTJs, known as 'architects', are represented by the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (a historical landmark in Xi'an) in their headdress."

The exhibition also features displays detailing the shadow puppet-making process and the specialized carving tools. "We've set up a workshop area where visitors can try painting shadow puppets after learning about the materials and craftsmanship," Dang says, adding that a small stage also hosts shadow-puppet performances, including for special nighttime tours.

Dang has also collaborated with other artists to create experimental work blending shadow puppetry with contemporary art. This includes Shadow Collection: Ping Xu (Bottles in Sequence) by artist Yao Zhihao, a doctoral student at Tsinghua University's Future Laboratory. Inspired by the traditional motif siji ping'an (the flowers of the four seasons: peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and plum blossoms each in a vase to represent peace and safety), Yao uses modern technology to transform flat shadow puppet imagery into a naked-eye 3D experience, offering a more immersive interaction for visitors.

Dang admits that the paper-cutting work of other artists has been inspiring. "As inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, we should break free from traditional constraints," he adds.

He says that with its blend of historical craftsmanship and modern innovation, the exhibition offers young audiences an engaging and dynamic cultural experience.

Many visitors have left heartfelt messages in the guest book, Zhang says. "I found that many of them have a deep and personal understanding of traditional Chinese culture."

While the modern artistic interpretations of shadow puppetry and paper-cutting are central to the exhibition, much of the work also reflects on social issues.

Hello, Wall focuses on the Taipingxu area, a 400-year-old street in Xiqiao town, Foshan, Guangdong province. Created by 35-year-old Chen Fenwan, and combined with paper-cutting elements, the piece was inspired by her reimagining of the old town's former prosperity and observations of its current state.

Chen visited the street three times. The old architecture of Taipingxu bears the marks of time, with peeling walls that suggest the hollow imprint left by the passage of years. At some point, these traces were gently peeled away, leaving fragments of the past.

"I'm a curious observer, and I tend to magnify the granular details I encounter," Chen says, adding that she viewed these wall fragments as slices of time.

She collected the fragments and sought to give them a sense of belonging, by acquiring a list of past Taipingxu residents, and connecting each fragment to a name and enabling forgotten memories to resurface.

In its spatial presentation, Hello, Wall takes the form of a banyan tree, a symbol of vitality in Lingnan culture (the culture of Guangdong and nearby provinces in southeastern China). The banyan tree's aerial roots grow continuously, sometimes touching the ground and becoming new trunks, symbolizing regeneration. This contrast between the tree's life cycle and the peeling walls reflects the theme of the work.

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"I don't aim to evoke simple nostalgia. The banyan tree's vitality softens any potential sadness," Chen explains. "Time has carved the peeling walls, and I have carved the people who once lived behind them into these fragments."

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn