Papercutting, a traditional Chinese art form, actually came before the invention of paper as a way to worship ancestry and the gods by hand cutting designs in silver and gold leaf. Today it is used for depicting folktales and as a decoration for celebration, honor and well wishes for a prosperous life. Hanson makes large scale “paper” cuts, out of four foot by eight foot by quarter inch thick piece of plywood utilizing woodworking cutting tools to hand cut the imagery. Stylistically blending traditional Chinese pattern work with a centuries old art form, they push the definition of paper in this art form. Hanson depicts their own personal narrative by depicting their imaginings of their earliest beginnings.
Due to China's One Child Policy, it was illegal for families to give up their children directly to the authorities or orphanages. So abandoning them and hoping they would be found and taken into custody was the choice they were left with. Hanson's parents were given a letter when they adopted them at 11 months old. Supposedly, it was from the officer who had found them in July. Hanson's parents were told their child was found by the Yangtze river while an officer was on duty.
"Found By The Water On A July Summer Night" is a depiction of that moment, a folktale of sorts and an imagining of the closest thing to their birth story that they can contextualize. A poem to the moment they were "born."
