Pushing Boundaries: Suzhou embroiderer combines modern art with ancient craft

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Suxiu, or Suzhou embroidery is crafted in areas around Suzhou, in East China's Jiangsu Province. With a history of more than 2,000 years, the craft is one of the oldest embroidery styles in China, and is known for its subtle and refined needlework. Now, an inheritor of Suzhou embroidery is trying to push boundaries by combining the ancient craft with contemporary art.

Yao Huifen is a master of Suzhou embroidery, which is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

She and embroiderers at her Suzhou embroidery studio are busy preparing for their new work. They will collaborate with contemporary artist Wu Jian'an.

YAO HUIFEN SUZHOU EMBROIDERY ARTIST "It's a tricky one again. The design patterns are very abstract, the colors are not easy to present, and it's also a big challenge for our needlework."

This is not the first time that Yao has collaborated with Wu.

In 2017, Wu met Yao at an academic seminar and was attracted by the art of Suzhou Embroidery. So he decided to cooperate with Yao Huifen and her sister Yai Huiqin, who is also an embroidery artist, to create a piece for the Chinese pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, or 2017 international art exhibition in Venice.

They worked together to recreate the "Skeleton Fantasy Show", a painting by renowned Song Dynasty painter Li Song.

YAO HUIFEN SUZHOU EMBROIDERY ARTIST "There are 40 to 50 different kinds of Suzhou embroidery techniques, and each of my works features a few of them. However, Wu Jian'an asked us to use all of the techniques on that one piece and even to create some new needlework. And we only had three months to make the embroidery. It was like a mission impossible."

What's more, Wu's style and creativity are totally different to the traditional approaches Yao has taken in embroidery for the past 4 decades.

YAO HUIFEN SUZHOU EMBROIDERY ARTIST "Modern art and embroidery are quite different. Sometimes, we did not agree with each other. The process drove us to despair several times."

Fortunately, they figured it out in the end. When she saw her Suzhou embroidery displayed at the Venice Biennale, Yao said that the tough creation process was worthwhile.

YAO HUIFEN SUZHOU EMBROIDERY ARTIST "I was amazed by the embroidery in Venice. My work used to be solely traditional, but I engaged in a different process in that piece, and tried new ways to bring the traditional to the contemporary. It was very enjoyable."

As an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage, Yao also does her part to promote the art of Suzhou Embroidery to more people by attending training sessions and lectures, as well as presenting exhibitions. But she says the most enjoyable moment for her is still picking a needle.

YAO HUIFEN SUZHOU EMBROIDERY ARTIST "Embroidery is my passion. I make embroidery more than 200 days out of a year. Of course, I will face new challenges in the future, but as long as I have my needle, I'll keep on stitching."