Karen Bit Vejle فنانة مع مقص

Psaligraphy – the art of papercutting – requires time. Both when it comes to creation and experience of the work of art. Contrary to almost everything else in the world today, psaligraphy is a slow art. It takes time to master, plan and perform it. Karen Bit Vejle creates images of air and paper. The works are formed from a large, continuous piece of paper and then cut using only a pair of scissors. Karen Bit Vejle is always cutting while listening to music and every single scissor cut is carefully planned, as the slightest mistake can have disastrous consequences for the finished result. This is a slow art of painstaking patience that demands the utmost concentration. Which part shall be cut out and which shall not?

Karen Bit Vejles form of expression, psaligraphy, literally means the art of drawing or painting with scissors. Her magical cuttings in the travelling exhibition Scissors for a Brush, are rooted in a tradition that has known a long journey through history. But she has created a personal style and technique that are entirely her own. For more than 35 years she has been absorbed, fascinated, and deeply committed to this art form that developed from small, simple snowflakes to unusually large and highly complex image cuttings. She is one of very few in Europe who can cut at such an advanced technical and artistic level. There is a great degree of humour in Karen Bit Vejle’s world of imagery; humour and the ability to identify joy in small things. Just as often, though, she confronts deep seriousness and themes intended to invoke involvement and reflection. Her works are captivating surprise packages. By meeting Karen Bit Vejle’s images of air and paper we can find ourselves both surprised and inspired!