Kerrie Zhuge
Illustrations
Projects
Traditional Medium
Installations
About Me
Contact
This paper-cutting piece is inspired by Izumi Shikibu’s poem:
“Although the wind blows terribly here, the moonlight also leaks between the roof planks of this ruined house.”
The structure, created with intricate layers of cut paper, captures the delicate balance between the harshness of life and its fleeting beauty. The flowing forms that cascade from the house-like frame represent vulnerability—open to the winds of struggle yet illuminated by glimpses of hope and light. The openness of the piece emphasizes the permeability of human experience, echoing the idea that pain, grief, and anger must coexist with joy, love, and longing to create a full, meaningful life.
Through the interplay of light and shadow, this work reflects the poem’s sentiment: even in ruin, there is beauty; even in brokenness, there is resilience. The transparency and fragility of the paper mirror the fragility of our emotions and the strength it takes to remain open to the world, no matter how much it tears at us.