In my work, I try to make sense of my life’s unorthodox turns by bridging past and present. Cotton and silk appear almost exclusively in my work and are lead crops of the Jiangxi province in China where I was born, abandoned, and adopted from. Cobalt and white appear predominantly in my work due to their historical role in Ming porcelain and Delftware. I use these colors as a lens to explore my identity as a Chinese-American raised in an Irish-Catholic home separated from Chinese culture. Kumquats, magnolias, and lotus blossoms appear in my work further bridging my past and present. My first given name (Qiū lián) translates in English to ‘Autumn Lotus’ and my childhood was filled with North American magnolia blossoms and Chinese kumquats. Materials-based and process-driven, my embroideries combine nature and nurture, here and there, and fate and free will.
The iridescent quality of the cotton and silk encourages the viewer through optical illusion to move around and engage with the work. Viewing the work from various angles creates dynamic areas highlighted and in shadow. Similarly in recounting a memory or sharing a story, a diverse range of perspectives can be drawn due to a variety of vantage points. I can only share my story from my perspective, and though there are many figures responsible for my existence, through the cotton, silk, flora, and dye, I create my own narrative and celebrate the mess in a place of speculation and unanswered questions.
