Qingyang Xu

Textiles (MA)

10034951@network.rca.ac.uk

My story is inspired by the rockery stones in Suzhou gardens. I believe that the rock is a transmitter of natural energy and is a medium that combines the power of nature with man-made craftsmanship. People can experience the energy of nature in the garden, but they cannot take it with them when they leave the garden and return to the city. Therefore, I use handmade tie-dyed fabrics as a medium, combined with the Chinese medicine dyeing process, to depict the unique form and texture details of the rockery in Suzhou gardens. I want to bring the power of nature back to the city through natural, sustainable, and environmentally responsible materials, to the exhibition hall, or to any house, so that people can feel the energy of nature wherever they are.

About

I am Qingyang Xu, born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. I have been interested in traditional Chinese handicrafts since I was a child. I believe that handcrafted textiles can be used as a medium to convey the thoughts and emotional expressions of people from generation to generation.

During my postgraduate study, I fell in love with tie-dye and studied its history and craftsmanship. As a Chinese intangible cultural heritage, it has a long history and has been passed down from generation to generation, and is now mainly active in the Yunnan region of China. However, this traditional craft is currently facing big challenge： it is threatened by the lack of successors.

The new generation of young people is not willing to keep this time-consuming traditional craft, while the old generation of craftsmen is gradually being eliminated from the market due to lack of productivity. Here’s a statistic. There were originally more than 2,000 patterns in Chinese tie-dye, but only 17 remain on the market to cater for consumer preferences.

So I hope that my tie-dye works have a promotional and educational significance. Its more patterns and techniques should be passed down and integrated with the modern market. Not just 17 remain. I hope that this work can be more public, so that more people can understand the traditional craft of tie-dye, so that more craftsmen and designers can learn and use it, and the world can see it.

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