As ye sew, so shall ye reap
Twenty-nine-year-old Qin Chanqin is a teacher in a children's DIY handicraft workshop, while 71-year-old Shen Zhenmin is a retiree from a trading company. An ongoing exhibition at the Shanghai Mass Art Center in Xuhui district (125 Guyi Road, 5424-4152) is what ties the unlikely duo together.
Entitled Nü You Yu Bu, a line from the classic Chinese book Mencius meaning "women are endowed with enough clothes," the exhibition showcases dozens of handmade examples of needlework by the aforementioned pair. Qin's works include articles for daily use, among them handbags, purses, lunchboxes, hair clips decorated with bowknots, as well as containers for cosmetics - all of them made from textiles.
In contrast, Shen's works highlight more innovative experiments with traditional handicrafts.
For instance, on one piece of cloth he has created a collage resembling a still-life oil painting, with the background to layers of flowers and leaves realized in the manner of traditional Chinese embroideries. And in his lace works, traditional white lace has been given a multi-colored makeover with the usual floral patterns replaced by auspicious dragons and bats.
The exhibition will run until April 21, and Shen will give a public introduction to his works on March 31 at the venue. Meanwhile, on March 23 and April 7, Qin will launch a workshop to teach needlework skills to enthusiasts and beginners.
Public feedback
Born into a sewing family - her parents were both sewers for a Shanghai garment firm - Qin first showed interest in needlework as a child.
The young girl grasped the skills of cutting, sewing, and knitting while still in primary school, but her professional training in textiles started in 2009. And in 2011, Qin began to share her experiences of handicrafts on her blog where she received a lot of public feedback and praise. On the blog, visitors can see some of her finished works as well as detailed instructions as to how to make certain items.
"I like finding handicraft websites based in both China and abroad, and discovering the latest works by renowned craftspeople," said Qin.
However, the Internet for Shen is still largely an unknown world. A graduate of the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, he came to Shanghai in 1963, becoming one of the few craftwork experts in the city at the time. During his 35 years of service at the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Import and Export Corporation, he was an instrumental figure in the twice-yearly China Import and Export Fair held in Guangzhou where he saw examples of the best craftwork from all around the country.
"Over the years, I become very familiar with porcelains, different kinds of textiles, straw-plaited and wicker-plaited items, as well as jade, wood and stone carvings. And I liked to make some fun objects using similar materials to those I encountered," Shen told the Global Times. Shen once wove a mattress out of discarded hemp rope which had previously been used for packaging purposes.
Shen became a serious researcher into innovative handicrafts in 2009. Over the years, he has tried his hand at fabric collages, laces, woolen embroidery and straw plaiting. And in all he has worked with more than 20 craftwork techniques, including cutting, sewing, collage, embedding, folding, piling, twisting, plaiting and knotting.
"You won't find the same two items in my creations because I'm constantly seeking out new materials and skills," said Shen.
Experimental works
Shen has set up a studio in Putuo district (Room 1203, No.1, Lane 176 Baiyu Road, 6244-3075), where he displays his experimental works. However, he says his happiest times are spent outside of the studio.
Every year, he travels to villages all over the country looking for beautiful traditional craftworks.
"I just knock at villagers' doors and chat with them," Shen told the Global Times. "And the village fairs in the north of China, which usually take place in the spring, are my favorites."
Embroidered shoes featuring a tiger's face, a brocade tapestry highlighting the "five poisons" (snake, house lizard, centipede, toad and scorpion), and colored textiles made by ethnic minority groups, can all be found in Shen's collection.
Qin would also like to travel more but as a full-time employee she spends most of her time in the city. And it has become a routine for Qin and her fellow craft enthusiasts to get together once a month, to chat and to work on their textile collages in local cafés.
Lofty dreams
Qin opened an online shop selling her handicrafts soon after she finished her training, and at the moment she cannot keep up with the demand due to a lack of time to devote to production.
"The competition on taobao.com is really fierce," she said. "If you search for 'handmade cloth bags' hundreds of thousands of products will show up in the results list." She has resisted becoming a full-time "taobao boss," fearing she would become submerged in the business side of the industry.
However, she still dreams of one day opening her own café or workshop for people who are interested in fabric collages.
Meanwhile, Shen remains adamant that he will never sell any of his works. The Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts and Shaanxi Normal University have both invited Shen to take up teaching posts, offers he is still considering.
"I hope that young people will carry on this innovative spirit, and make full use of traditional Chinese skills and materials," he said.