On November 7th and 8th, students, staff, and faculty alike had the unique opportunity to participate in a workshop dedicated to contemporary papercuts. The workshops were lead by Reni Gower and Jorge Benitez, whose works are currently on display on the second floor of Argyros Forum in the exhibition Geometric Aljamía: A Cultural Transliteration. Benitez, whose
Last Monday, the Chapman University Art Collections department debuted Clear-cut: The Point of Papercuts, a panel discussion on the art of papercuts in Beckman Hall. Papercut artists and professors Jorge Benitez and Reni Gower kicked off the panel with a brief synopsis of the extensive research and international collaboration that was incorporated into the exhibition Geometric Aljamía: A
The Clear-cut panel event on the art of papercuts, and the exhibition, Geometric Aljamía, focuses on the art of papercutting from diverse cultures around the world. One of these international techniques is known as, “papel picado,” a Mexican style of papercutting that has roots in the country’s ancient history. In pre-Hispanic Mexico, the Aztec people would use tree bark
In our current society we often hear that the Middle East and the West are two completely different societies with conflicting cultures, but in fact, Middle Eastern and Western cultures have much more in common than we may think. These similarities are evident in the art exhibition Geometric Aljamía (displayed at Chapman University on the second
On Monday, November 7, the Art Collections Department will host a panel discussion that brings together east and west coast artists to talk about the art of papercuts. Papercutting is a centuries-old, cross-cultural art form that remains vibrant and relevant today. Practiced by artists from Kabul to Mexico to China to Los Angeles, papercutting is an