Earthen Stitches: Exploring Craft Boundaries
This project utilizes unfired clay as its medium, employs traditional embroidery techniques, and incorporates materials from French haute couture.
It represents a journey of exploring the essence of intangible cultural craftsmanship, while also discovering
innovative methods to preserve it.
NEXUS FORMS I, II, III...
The choice of unfired clay as an embroidery medium is to discard the original constraints of embroidery, start from scratch, and explore the impossibility of materials, the transformative nature of modern art, and the challenges of repositioning craft within a new context.
Using a standard container as the archetype in this project aims to forge connections between craft and daily life, as well as between art and everyday experiences.
For the benefit of achieving an overall aesthetic purpose, the project utilizes transparent nylon thread, specially designed for beading and sequins, which does not damage the surface of the medium. The technique involves traditional hand embroidery using an extremely thin needle. Due to aesthetic constraints and the nature of the materials, this approach requires the preliminary preparation of the "fabric"—in this case, the clay.
By incorporating embroidery into ceramics, this approach challenges clay as a material, using it as a fabric-like medium to showcase tangible craft skills. On one hand, it redefines the application of embroidery, necessitating changes to traditional tools, techniques, and methods. This includes adapting traditional embroidery methods for the unique texture and thickness of clay, requiring the selection of different needles, and altering the techniques for starting and finishing knots to suit this unconventional substrate.
By recontextualizing embroidery within the realms of ceramic arts, the project has not only preserved the spirit of traditional craftsmanship but has also expanded its relevance in today’s artistic landscape.
Ultimately, this endeavor highlights the transformative potential of combining age-old skills with new contexts and materials, offering a fresh perspective on the enduring value of craft in daily and artistic life.