Woven together: Chinese and French craft traditions meet in Shanghai

French and Chinese artists and artisans are bringing centuries-old craftsmanship into contemporary dialogue through a new cultural project in Shanghai.

Conceived specifically for China, "la Galerie du 19M SHANGHAI" exhibition brings together 31 creative practitioners from China and France, alongside artisans from the 11 specialist Maisons d'art based at le19M, a Paris-based hub dedicated to preserving and advancing exceptional craftsmanship.

Presented by French fashion house CHANEL, the exhibition opened to the public at the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) on September 25 and will run through November 15. It marks the initiative's first stop in Shanghai following previous editions in Dakar, Marseille and Tokyo.

The Shanghai edition places French traditions such as embroidery, feather work, pleating and millinery in dialogue with Chinese craftsmanship including weaving, lacquer, ceramics and indigo dyeing, highlighting how heritage techniques can be reinterpreted through contemporary creation and cross-cultural exchange.

China's craft heritage

China's craft heritage provides an important context for the project. Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China and Nanjing Yunjin brocade craftsmanship were both inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

These traditions reflect forms of knowledge passed down through generations – from silk reeling and weaving to highly complex brocade-making techniques involving silk, gold thread and intricate handwork.

Rather than presenting Chinese and French traditions separately, the exhibition emphasizes collaboration. French artisans have worked with Chinese artists, while French creators have also travelled to different parts of China to work with local craftspeople. The exchanges explore how traditional techniques can take on new meanings through contemporary art.

A central section of the exhibition, A Sense of Touch, brings together 11 Maisons d’art with Chinese and French creative practitioners. Embroidery, weaving, lacquer and ceramics appear alongside painting, sculpture, installation and moving images. Here, "touch" becomes more than physical contact. It represents how knowledge, memory and techniques are transmitted by hand.

Another section, Lesage: 100 Years of Fashion and Decoration, traces the history of the renowned French embroidery house while highlighting cultural connections with China, including Chinese lacquer screens collected by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and Chinese silk embroidery used in French decorative interiors.

A journey for the public

During China's National Day holiday, four major exhibitions and art projects, including la Galerie du 19M SHANGHAI, will remain open to the public both inside and around the Museum of Art Pudong.

Related workshops and public talks will also allow visitors to engage directly with materials and techniques. Against the backdrop of Shanghai's skyline, la Galerie du 19M SHANGHAI ultimately presents craftsmanship as a shared cultural language.

At a time when automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping creative industries, the project brings attention back to knowledge carried by the hand – and how heritage can remain alive through exchange, collaboration and reinterpretation.