ANCIENT ART OF PAPER-CUTTING: Contemporary artist Dan Landau will present a free class on paper-cutting on Monday, November 26 at 6:15 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. The event is free and open to all community members aged 16 and over, but space is limited and registration is required (register at Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/PapercuttingEventbrite).

Have you ever made a snowflake with folded paper and scissors in school? If so, you’ve engaged in the ancient art of paper-cutting. This art form has been around in one form or another since the Chinese invented paper, and has been infinitely adapted over time by different artists and cultures.

Learn how to cut paper into artworks with contemporary artist Dan Landau on Monday, November 26 at 6:15 p.m. in a free class at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. Participants will receive paper-cutting tools, templates, and hands-on instruction in this class.

The event is free and open to all community members aged 16+, but space is limited and registration is required (register at Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/PapercuttingEventbrite).

The evening’s program will feature a brief conversation about the history of paper-cutting by Sonja Andersen, a doctoral student in Princeton University’s Department of German, followed by a paper-cutting demonstration and tutorial by Landau.

“The research that I do about the 17th century has implications today,” says Andersen. “Paper was precious then, and even little scraps were saved for use in papercutting art. There’s this urge today, to go back to basics and get away from the excessive technology in our lives.” Andersen is currently writing a dissertation on 17th-century literature and media.

“Papercutting is a zen-like experience that requires patience and focus,” says Landau. “It’s very relaxing and provides the perfect antidote to our current atmosphere of buzzing screens.”

Combining the art disciplines of drawing and papercutting, Landau creates detailed artworks by drawing on paper roadmaps and then cutting out the empty spaces around the drawing and the roads with a craft knife. Focusing primarily on portraits, his work is characterized by intricate paper-cut details and bold ink drawings. Landau lives in Bridgewater. See his art and creation process at www.DanLandau.net.

For more information, email Andersen at sonjaa@princeton.edu. This event is sponsored by the Princeton University Humanities Council and is a part of Being Human 2018, a worldwide “Festival of the Humanities.” Discover more at https://beinghumanfestival.org/.