Netflix features paper-cutting artwork of UTAR alumnus

Teo showcasing his paper-cutting skill

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Graphic Design and Multimedia alumnus Eten Teo recently made a name for himself. Teo, the founder of Redcut Paper Cutting, is a Malaysian-born artist with more than 12 years of paper-cutting experience. His hard work, talent and perseverance for the past decades finally paid off when Netflix approached him to feature his paper-cut artwork on its platform. Teo’s collaboration with Netflix further extended his reach as his artwork was spotlighted on different platforms of Netflix; across various economies like Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

Teo first came in contact with paper cutting in middle school. It all happened when his family wanted to decorate their house during the festive season of “The Chinese New Year.” They came up with an idea and suggested him to cut out some patterns with just red paper. He then began learning the craft on his own and started posting pictures of his work on social media. He gradually began to receive orders from families and friends and that continued to hone his skills.

“At first, I was perplexed as to why Netflix would want to create a serious paper-cut piece,” Teo admitted. He mentioned that rather than working with him to digitalise a physical piece of artwork, Netflix could have worked with other illustrators and graphic designers on digital projects. After all, the Netflix team still needed Teo to cut the paper on-site before they could film and take pictures of it. However, after many discussions, he realised that Netflix was sincere and wanted to use the most original traditional art to bring out the entire New Year atmosphere.

The stunning work of art, which took Teo almost a week to produce, was centred around the Chinese word "Fu" which directly translates as blessings or good fortune. The artwork is also designed to symbolise the happiness of the celebration and the prosperity it will bring to all homes.

Teo’s paper-cut artwork for Netflix

Teo’s paper-cut artwork featured on Netflix


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