Sat, Oct 17
|Heritage Museum of Asian Art
The Cut Picture: Contemporary Papercutting Demonstration
Join Chicago papercut artist Yang Pulongbarit Cuevo for a contemporary papercutting demonstration with precision knife. Discover how intricate single-sheet and layered papercuts are made, ask questions, and explore the techniques behind the works on view.
Time & Location
Oct 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60609, USA
About the event
Join Chicago papercut artist and Guild of American Papercutters Board President Yang Pulongbarit Cuevo for an informal, artist-led demonstration of contemporary knife-cut papercutting.
Working from a single sheet of paper with a prepared design, Cuevo will demonstrate how intricate images and patterns emerge through the careful removal of paper. The demonstration will explore the relationship between line, negative space, structure, and detail, as well as the patience and decision-making involved in creating a connected cut-paper design.
Visitors are encouraged to ask questions, discuss tools and techniques, and engage with the artist while the work is in progress. The demonstration offers an opportunity to look closely at the papercuts in the exhibition and to consider the many choices concealed within a finished work.
This workshop is part of the Cutting East to West exhibition. Presented in collaboration with members of the Guild of American Papercutters (GAP), Cutting East to West invites visitors to discover the precision, imagination, and cultural stories held within a single sheet of paper.
About the Artist
Yang Pulongbarit Cuevo is a papercut artist based in Chicago who began as a political cartoonist in the Philippines. Her work often draws inspiration from nature, anatomy, music, and folklore.
As an immigrant born and raised in an archipelago with rich cultural heritage contrasted by a history of political unrest, Cuevo also creates pieces informed by societal observations and emotional abstraction.
Her work has been shown in exhibitions in California, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, and Metro Manila, as well as publications including The Chicago Reader. The custom maps she offers at Paperhugger Studio also became an Etsy Design Awards Finalist in 2023.
In addition to her art practice, Cuevo worked as Managing Director for a Chicago nonprofit arts organization focused on printmaking until 2025 and currently co-curates local exhibitions. She serves as President of the Board for the Guild of American Papercutters. On weekends, she hosts a weekly show for 107.1FM, an independent radio station in North Center Chicago.