Artistic Expression That’s a Cut Above
Karen Bit Vejle
Image © Marjaana Malkamäk
The Cut Paper Art of Karen Bit Vejle
Until just a few years ago, Karen Bit Vejle had a secret hidden under her rugs.
Like many in her home country of Denmark, Vejle grew up making gækkebrev, cut paper holiday cards. She discovered that she was rather talented at cutting out the little greetings.
For years, Vejle reserved her paper cutting for the holidays. But the summer she turned 16, she had an “Oh, I see!” moment:
. . . I saw a man who was sitting in the sun cutting out paper silhouettes with motifs I had never before seen. I was enraptured, and stood there staring for a long time, watching the man as he maneuvered his scissors to bring forth the most beautiful little paper cutting. I was so taken with the idea that I went right home and got my mother’s sewing scissors, and I have never let them out of...
