Embroiderers inject vitality into Su embroidery, integrate art form into daily clothing

Su embroidery, a traditional Chinese embroidery art, dates back 2,500 years and is a national intangible cultural heritage in China.

In Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, known as the hometown of Su embroidery, embroiderers born in the post-80s and post-90s are injecting fresh vitality into the traditional art of Su embroidery through their innovative ideas and techniques.

Ma Yanwen, a 35-year-old embroiderer with 16 years of experience, stumbled on the technique of double-sided embroidery with different designs, colors and stitches on either side of a piece of fabric.

Ma was amazed by the technique. She later found that there were fewer than 10 embroiderers in Suzhou capable of the technique. She relocated to a village in the city to learn from local artisans and preserve this skill.

In the Zhenhu subdistrict of the Suzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone, a town with a population of over 20,000, there were once over 8,000 embroiderers.

Lu Meihong, a professional arts and crafts master in Jiangsu in her 50s, is among the embroiderers.

Photo shows a Su embroidery work. (Photo/CCTV News)

Lu explained that an embroidery thread can be split into multiple strands, and to divide it into 36 strands is a fundamental skill in embroidery.

To create a piece of peony-themed embroidery, Lu dedicated nearly six months of her time.

However, her daughter, Yu Zhujun, who has been honing her embroidery skills since childhood, brought a fresh perspective.

"Occasionally, my daughter suggests that we transform the embroidery into wearable art, something we can proudly wear and showcase in public," Lu said.

Yu conducted research on integrating Su embroidery into everyday clothing.

She discovered that the delicate nature of Su embroidery and the demanding maintenance requirements posed a challenge for daily wear. Furthermore, accurately reproducing the intricate colors of silk threads in the garment-making process proved to be difficult.

As a result, Yu embarked on a cross-disciplinary collaboration with a team of designers to explore innovative approaches to presenting Su embroidery, beginning with fabric selection and pattern design.

"We need to create and design in a way that meets the needs, aesthetics, and practicality of consumers. Through this approach, I hope to promote Su embroidery to a wider audience and encourage more people to appreciate and utilize it," said Fu Xianghong, an inheritor of Su embroidery.