An Artistic and Spiritual Exploration of Chinese Joss Paper

Multicultural or integrative art education helps students understand themselves and the diverse changing visual world around them. This article highlights the the tradition of Chinese joss paper and shows how it can be added to the repertoire of a multicultural art curriculum or an integrative art curriculum that enables the teacher to infuse social studies, math, and science by offering probable connections embedded in this artistic practice. Exploring the context and content of Chinese joss paper through both artistic and spiritual lenses, the authors first examine this tradition and its origins and discuss its visual characteristics and the associated meanings of both traditional and modern joss paper. Next, they suggest several classroom activities for high school students to give them a better understanding and appreciation of this cultural practice.