TSAOAO Design "Enter the Dragon" CNY Papercutting

These designs were drawn and cut by hand, then digitised to be reproduced using traditional Chinese red paper, maintaining its authentic texture and unmistakable colour. Part of the charm of this material lies in its small imperfections, variegated colour, and the way it fades over the course of the year. 

A bespoke small-batch laser-cutting process was developed to preserve the integrity of the delicate material. The paper is reinforced with a recycled card backing, made from 80% post-consumer waste, for improved durability.

The Cantonese idiom ‘豬籠入水’ is an auspicious phrase which literally translates as ‘Water Entering A Pig Basket’. Traditionally, live pigs are carried to markets using large baskets made of woven strands of bamboo. Since water is symbolic of wealth, the imagery of water flowing into the porous basket signifies the influx of good fortune. In a play of words, the characters pig basket ‘豬籠’ are replaced here with a homophone ‘朱龍’, which means crimson dragon.

About Tsaoao Design:

Tsaoao Design is a paper crafts studio aspiring to reintegrate traditional crafts into the digital age. Founder Nick Tsao is a practicing architect in Hong Kong living in the historic Wanchai Bluehouse where he can share his passion for traditional crafts. 

Nick is a graduate of Cambridge University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was awarded the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award in 2015 and 2016. The Zodiac papercutting series also received a DFA Design For Asia Merit Award in 2023.