Malaysian artist's intricate paper-cutting art featured on Netflix

To mark the launch of Netflix’s 2023 Lunar New Year collection, Malaysian paper-cutting artist Eten Teo was commissioned to create an intricate work of art that highlights a family’s Chinese New Year celebrations.

His creation is the first physical artwork being digitised to be featured on a local moment on Netflix - a specially curated and diverse collection of classic and new titles that celebrate seasonal moments or social events that are important to local audiences.

Themed ‘A Time for Togetherness’, the artwork will also be in the spotlight on the Netflix platform in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

It took two weeks for the 33-year-old Johorean to complete the piece which revolves around the word ‘fú’, meaning “fortune” or “good luck”) and is meant to represent the blessings and happiness surrounding the festivities.

The inspiration for the artwork came from Teo’s fondest memories of celebrating Chinese New Year during his childhood.

“I was initially exposed to paper cutting during my secondary school years when my family suggested making Chinese New Year couplets and ornaments through paper cutting. At the time, we knew very little about paper cutting nor did we have any insights into the art. It was purely for decorative purposes.

“This became a yearly custom, and I started to explore the arts and different forms of paper cutting. I am entirely self-taught, so the process evolved from merely cutting Chinese characters and emulating others’ works to successfully coming up with my original creations and techniques,” explained Teo, who’s been in the paper cutting business for more than 12 years.

Working with Netflix

His piece for Netflix came from discussions with the representatives of the streaming giant.

“Netflix first proposed a concept and then I used my experience in paper cutting and some of my ideas to design the entire composition. When people think of traditional paper cut work, they think of artists from China rather than artists from Malaysia as the art itself is not very prominent here, so I am very happy to have the opportunity to cooperate with Netflix.”

Describing his piece for Netflix and what it means to him, Teo said: “Paper cutting as a hollowing art demands perfection in details. Presenting the artwork on paper requires linking the fine lines but also ensuring that the paper remains intact. The cuts may seem simple, but it takes a lot of time and effort to complete.

“This piece reminds me of one of the things I look forward to the most during Chinese New Year as a child - watching television because there were many special programmes and movies on during the new year.

“The impact of the pandemic in the past few years has also reminded us that being able to reunite with loved ones is a blessing. I hope that everyone can feel the warm atmosphere in this work and that getting together with family and friends to do the simplest little things can be our happiest memories,” he said.

This paper-cutting maestro’s highly detailed artwork can be viewed on Netflix’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.

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