Biographical Note
Hongyi He is a Chinese papercut artist recognized as a "master of folk arts and crafts" by UNESCO. She was born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, on May 1, 1954. Her father was a professor of philosophy and her mother was an amateur embroider and Chinese traditional painter. Her maternal grandmother was a renowned folk storyteller. Hongyi He started paper cutting as a hobby when she was twelve years old, and kept this particular hobby throughout China's turbulent historical transformation. She earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in folk literature and arts from Common University of Central China, in 1980 and 1982 respectively. After her graduation, she began teaching at National South-Central China University in Wuhan. While working, she was sent to Beijing Normal University for a half year as part of a training program for faculty of folklore and folk art. At this program, she met her mentor and teacher, Zhong-Jin Wen, a leading scholar of Chinese folk art. He influenced her work and encouraged her to create contemporary folk art as a papercut artist. Hongyi He has attended conferences, given lectures, and presented exhibitions in China, Korea, Japan, and the United States. At the "Fourth World Conference on Women" held in Beijing in 1995, Hongyi He presented her papercut, "The Wedding of the Rats," which was a collaboration between three generations including her mother and daughter. She owns over 1,000 papercuts made by other artists, as well as pieces of her own work. She currently teaches at the National South-Central China University in Wuhan. She is also an active artist in the United States and promotes her art among Chinese communities in metropolitan Washington, DC, through lectures and workshops.