On 10 March 2026, I took part in a discussion organised by ROSA Magazine during the exhibition “Suzhou Embroidery: The Awakening of a 1000-Year Tradition,” held at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 6 to 16 March 2026.
The conversation brought together contemporary Chinese artist Wu Jian’an and Suzhou embroidery masters Yao Huifen and Yao Huiqin, whose collaborative works formed the centre of the exhibition. Several embroidery practitioners from the UK were invited to join the discussion, including Holly Owst, Olga Prinku, Anne Kelly, Emily Barnett, and myself.
Suzhou embroidery originates from Suzhou in Jiangsu province, China, and is one of the most recognised traditions of Chinese embroidery. Developed over many centuries, the technique became known for its refined stitching and its close relationship to pictorial art. Historically, embroidered works often translated painted compositions into textile form, reproducing landscapes, figures, birds, and flowers through highly controlled stitching.
The exhibition in London presented a contemporary interpretation of this tradition through a collaboration between Wu Jian’an and the Suzhou embroidery masters. The works reinterpret imagery from the Southern Song dynasty painting “Skeleton Puppet Play” by Li Song, using numerous traditional stitch techniques within a single composition. These works attracted international attention when they were previously presented at the China Pavilion of the 57th Venice Biennale.
During the discussion we talked about how traditional craft techniques can evolve in a contemporary context. Many heritage crafts face a similar challenge: how to preserve the depth of accumulated technical knowledge while avoiding simple repetition of established motifs or purely commercial production.
For me, the most interesting outcome of the conversation was realising that this question is not limited to one tradition. Craftspeople working in very different parts of the world are trying to find ways to adapt heritage techniques to contemporary practice while maintaining their cultural and technical integrity.
If you are not familiar with Suzhou embroidery and would like to understand what makes this tradition distinctive, read my article here
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