Duration: 2024/08
Location: Children's Lake at Guangzhou Children's Park

---

We held a woodworking workshop for children at Children’s Park—creating “companions” for the animals of Swan Lake.
Over the course of three hours, the children went from drawing to paper-cutting to sculpting. In the end, their creations became a floating exhibition on the lake, on display for six months.

<1> Observation and Sketching by the Lake
We led the children in observing the lake and recording what they saw using simple lines.

<2> Making a Sign
We guided the children to recreate what they had just drawn using paper-cutting techniques. Treating scissors as paintbrushes, the children became more and more relaxed through repeated attempts.
They learned to use electric drills to join two wooden boards together with wooden strips. They temporarily secured the cut-out paper pieces to the boards with white glue and freely spray-painted them.
Transforming a temporary paper sketch into a lasting image on wood helped them realize that “paper cutting can be more than just paper cutting.”

<3> Creating a Large Installation
From lines to paper cutouts and back to “lines”—assembling outlines with wooden slats allows us to quickly create three-dimensional works in a short time.

We prepared a large quantity of wooden strips in various sizes in advance. Thanks to their recent experience with the electric drill, the children handled the cutting and assembly with ease. In their hands, the wooden strips transformed into all sorts of fun objects—a pet bird, a leaf, a happy monkey…

They gradually overcame their initial fear of the tools and became proficient. After finishing their pieces, they even picked up scraps of wood from the floor to create things they liked to take home.




Team: Wang Chao, Yang Xiao, Yu Jiahui, Ji Yinan
Collaborating Artists: Zhang Yongyu, Ye Yiran Photography: Ji Yinan
Special Thanks: Lin Boxiang, Cheng Yu
Children’s Park Installation Support Staff:
Xie Chengbiao, Su Haoran, Zhao Jianfu, Yang Guangshun, Chen Risheng, Lu Deqing, Xie Xianguo, Li Wenzhuo, Sun Guochun, Yang Jinxu, Lu Xianhui, Liao Yangdong, Liu Tengshi, Liang Huiying, Liu Yaocan, Niu Baojian