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Cloudy, asleep on a piece of fern leaf

Paper Object

跟蕨類初次見面是在家中的衛浴間,他是掛起來的波士頓蕨,年紀小小的我心中生起疑問:為何不掛於花槽窗邊?我以香港屋住空間不夠大作為解答。長大後,上山多了,才發現蕨類生長在潮濕的地方,難怪我會在衛浴間遇上他。
早前在台南搬家,我的兔腳蕨死了,走在街上,看到店家裡裡外外的鹿角蕨派對,驚嘆蕨類在少雨炎熱的台南也能茁莊成長。「蕨類真是神秘的植物。」我看到紙物主理人Wuba Yang的蕨類剪紙作品,好奇地讚美。 

 

【時間一  幾千萬年】

「蕨類生長在世界已經好幾億年,僅有650萬年的台灣,是位於亞熱帶的年輕地質海島,在冰河時期正好成了生物的庇護所。」Wuba Yang點出蕨類的前世今生,我肯定蕨類是神秘生物。

「這些蕨類在遠古時代留存到現在,現在看到他們,也要尊稱他們做爺爺。」我心誠地認為他們根本是祖先,這些爺爺、嫲嫲,其實都在我們身邊,台灣跟香港的經緯度差不多,在香港山上小溪、叢林間都有不少蕨類,一年四季都可以欣賞。

「我從小就喜愛剪紙,在日本工作交流時,發現同事們會在周未分享自己喜愛的興趣與事物,當時便領悟到工作之餘要不忘愛好。剪紙就是我喜歡的事,近期更喜好創作蕨類植物的剪紙。」我幻想Wuba手執剪刀,輕快地在一張紙上,劃上幾刀,一片如真的蕨葉即徐徐落下。

「幾千年的植物,靈魂是樹木化成的紙張,外表是如真的蕨類,捧在手掌,卻永久不枯,好不浪漫。」花時間,做喜歡的事,永遠不會覺悶。

【時間二  永久】

我最近在認識精油,原來有一種名字神奇的植物叫「永久花」,在荒蕪之地它也可以生長,摘下花朵後,竟一年也不會凋謝,所以叫「永久花」,讓我嘖嘖稱奇。「永久的植物,真的很吸引,你也知道城市裡有很多植物殺手。」我說完心虛地大笑。

「室內空間種植盆栽是目前許多空間設計的趨勢,但城市人有很多原因沒法在室內種植,蕨類植物的剪紙可以長青地為人們點綴生活。」好幾千萬年的植物在Wuba的剪刀下,化成永久長青的紙標本,讓我們一瞬間便能得到山間綠意。

「永久的事都很吸引,人們愈來愈渴求來自自然的安慰,室內植物大行其道,如果有永不凋謝的蕨類標本實在太好了。」

「是呀!綠色植物很療癒人心!紙植物的創作提供給不擅長栽培植物的人,另一種裝飾居家空間的選擇。」Wuba實在貼心,作品由書籤大小到壁畫大小都有,立體呈現長青的蕨類。

【時間三  過去現在】

「台灣這小島在地球已有650萬年的歷史了。」在這一年即使多不如意,聽到這話一年又算得上甚麼?

「經過了冰河時期,這些年在這小島生存下來的共有七百多種蕨類,其中台灣特有種便有60幾種。」有些蕨類不容易在大自然中看到,Wuba以剪紙作為媒介讓更多人認識這些比我們長壽很多的罕有品種。

花一些時間,去剪出這些蕨類,需要親自觀察,Wuba常到台北後花園走訪陽明山以及中部山區,拍下蕨類照片,回家細仔研究,製作紙標本,希望大家減少採集蕨類活體。

「跳出紅紙『剪紙』的定形,又能傳承紙剪的內涵,讓逐漸式微的剪紙藝術以新的面貌延續下去。」的確,在時間的洗禮下我們總是想盡辦法創新、創作更出色的藝術,但或者我們只需要在經驗中,與時並進,不需很大的力氣,而是花時間在融合現代的口味。

My first encounter with ferns was in the bathroom at home, he was a hanging Boston fern. At a young age, I thought, why not hang it on the planter by the window? I assumed it was because of the insufficient living space in Hong Kong. Only when I have grown older and hiked more, did I find out that ferns grow in humid environments? No wonder I met him in the bathroom.

A while ago, when I was moving in Tainan, my rabbit foot fern died. Walking on the streets, I saw bursts of staghorn ferns on shopfronts and inside the shops and was amazed at how ferns could grow so sturdily in Tainan even under such heat and minimal rainfall.

“Ferns are really such mysterious plants.” I lauded with wonder at the fern papercuts made by Wuba Yang, Founder of Paper Object.

【Time frame one – millions of years】

“Ferns have lived in the world for hundreds of millions of years. Taiwan, being 6.5 million years old and a young island in the subtropics, befittingly became a shelter for living things during the ice age.” Wuba Yang explained the life of ferns. I am certain that ferns are mystical beings.

“These ferns have lived on since prehistoric times. When we see them now, we should address them as grandfather.” I piously think that they are simply our ancestors, and these grandfathers and grandmothers are actually all around us. As Taiwan’s coordinates are similar to Hong Kong’s, there are not a few ferns among the valleys and shrubs in the mountains of Hong Kong too, for our appreciation in all seasons.

“I have loved papercutting since I was small. While I was on work exchange in Japan, I found that my colleagues would share their hobbies and interests on weekends. At the time, I understood that besides working, we should not forsake our interests. Papercutting is what I enjoy, and lately I have become more interested in creating papercuts of ferns.” I imagine Wuba wielding scissors, briskly making cuts on a piece of paper, as a piece of faux fern leaf gently descends.

“A plant of thousands of years, with the soul of a tree turned into paper and the appearance of real ferns, it rests on the palm, yet never withers. How romantic.” To spend time doing what one likes, one never feels bored.

【Time frame two – permanence】

Lately, I have been learning about essential oils. There is a plant with a wonderful name called “Immortelle” that can grow even on wastelands. Even after it is picked, it does not wilt for a whole year, hence the name “Immortelle”. I marvelled at it. “Immortal plants, how charming, you know how many plant killers there are in the city.” I gave a guilty laugh as I said that.

“Growing indoor plants is a trend in interior design now, but there are myriads of reasons why city people are unable to grow plants indoors. Papercuts of fern plants add lasting touches to people’s lives.” Through Wuba’s scissors, a plant of millions of years turns into a permanent, lasting paper specimen, giving us natural greenery in an instant.

“All lasting things are charming. People are increasingly yearning for solace in nature, and indoor plants have proliferated. How great would it be if there are fern specimens that never wilt.”

“Yeah! Green plants are so consoling! Paper plant art offers a home décor alternative for people who don’t have green fingers.” How thoughtful of Wuba also that her works come in sizes ranging from that of a bookmark to a wall painting, portraying lasting ferns with such multitudes.

【Time frame three – past and present】

“This little island of Taiwan has a history of 6.5 million years on earth already.” Despite all the unpleasantness of this year, what is one year when we take this in?

“After the ice age, the ferns that have survived in this little island all these years total to over seven hundred species, of which more than 60 are native to Taiwan.” Some ferns are difficult to come across in nature, and Wuba uses papercutting as a medium to let more people learn about these rare species that are much older than us.

Creating these fern papercuts takes time and requires close observations in-person. Wuba always retreats to Taipei’s backyard to visit Yangmingshan and mountainous terrains in central regions, where she photographs ferns to bring home for further examination and paper specimen-making. She hopes that people will cut down on collecting living fern specimens.

“Departing from the stereotypes of ‘papercutting’ on red papers, it passes on the substance of the craft and gives the declining art a new form to carry on.” Indeed, we have been tried by time to always consider ways to innovate and create better art, but perhaps we need only keep up with the times through our own experiences. We do not have to make massive efforts, and should, instead, put in the time to accommodate the aesthetics of today.

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