Artist Ming Liang Lu creates intricate portraits out of paper of people on the L train platform in Union Square. Under his fast fingers, paper turns to caricature in a matter of minutes. The finished portraits go up on the wall of the subway, a makeshift gallery.

Via New York Times.

"Mr. Lu said that in Shanghai, where he was born, he was renown for stone sculpture and stamp seal carving. He credits the facial portraits to his formative training in a three-dimensional form.

Paper-cutting dates to the Han dynasty but it is traditionally associated with designs like animals and flowers. But Mr. Lu has adapted the technique for facial portraits. 'You’re not going to see anybody doing the faces,' said Alex Gombach, one of Mr. Lu’s oldest students. 'That’s really his own thing.'

Mr. Lu practices several ancient Chinese art forms and on weekends, he teaches calligraphy, painting and cutting at the New York Chinese Cultural Center.

Mr. Lu is pleased when a rider wants a portrait — he accepts donations — but he is also content cutting an interesting face. 'Not about money,' he said. 'About face.'"