Bit Vejle
“My heart and soul are at peace when I have the scissors in hand and the paper dances between the blades.”
Working in Denmark
Vejle’s fascinating papercuts tell detailed existential stories on a large scale. Her works manifest themselves as an encounter between two art forms – storytelling and Slow Art. Bit Vejle’s form of expression, psaligraphy, literally means the art of drawing or painting with scissors. Her technique and method derive from a paper cutting tradition dating back to first century China, where paper cutting actually predated writing; however, Vejle lifts this to new dimensions within contemporary art.
The works are formed from a large, continuous piece of paper and cut with only a small pair of scissors. She always uses two layers of paper, thereby creating two original works in the process. One of these is painted black. This is a slow art of painstaking patience that demands the utmost concentration.
Her magical cuttings evoke a sense of wonder, rich with adventurous details, humour, ornamental shapes and surprising elements, creating a space for reflection. A recurring theme in her work revolves around stopping for a moment to find focus in a world where everyday life moves at such a rapid pace.