Shaanbei Ghost Story, 1999

Cut outs, soot, wax on handmade paper, jute, with linen box.
9 x 86 inches (fully open), unique

Shaanbei Ghost Diary was inspired by my studies, research, and trips to the remote cave dwelling villages in Shaanbei, China. Ghost figure images, five poisons, tree of life and wealth/coin symbols meld with the realities of these once fertile lands, now desolate and haunting. The leaf formats refer to early book formats that use palm leaves and bamboo strips. Buddhist texts. The handmade abaca paper with reddish pulp painting was created during the Dieu Donne Workspace program in 1993. It is embellished with soot, cut paper with a wax coating melted into the paper which creates a parchment skin translucent effect. The work can be viewed on both sides.