The Material Mechanisms Underlying the Visual Language of Northern Shaanxi Paper-Cutting

Abstract

This study focuses on Northern Shaanxi paper-cutting and investigates the material mechanisms underlying the formation of its visual language. It proposes “material translation” as a contemporary approach for rearticulating traditional craft. The research demonstrates that visual elements such as line, plane, volume, and color are not merely aesthetic motifs, but the result of coordinated interactions among material properties, tool constraints, and craft logic, embodying the principle that “form arises from making.” Building on this foundation, the paper formulates a dialectical method of “preserving the spirit” and “transforming the form,” providing both a theoretical basis and a practical direction for reconstructing material sensibility and cultural depth within digital design contexts.