Household Wisdom Lab - Dyeing Landscape
民間智慧實驗場之染色山水

Final artwork: Dyeing Landscape 01-04
2022
Size: L1500 x W1700 x D100 and L1100 x W1900 x D1000
Material: Natural Dye Yarn, cotton fabric with wooden frame

As part of CHAT’s community programme ‘Seed to Textile’, inviting community members to take part in the experimental workshops and presented in ‘We are Textile Culture Net!’ exhibition.

In collaboration with Asbury Methodist Social Service: Chen MeiMei, Chen Enyun, Huang Yuejiao, Hong Mingyu, Wu Chengyun, Chen, Honghong, Lin Juan, Xie Meifang, Chen Jinfeng, Tso Kayan, Li Shufen, Zhu Yawei, Chen Qin, Ho Chun

Life wisdom is one my major topic explored in the work ‘Household Wisdom Lab - Dyeing Landscape’. I invited a group of housewife, ask for using natural dye to create the colors for yarn. They used the kitchen waste to finish the experiment and try to explore more. As a result, we have more than 30 colors of nature with different tones of pink, yellow, brown with different ingredients.

After the dyeing experiment, we used the yarn to stitch the tapestry during the exhibition. I designed the tapestry pattern for them and filled in the color for them to follow. Then, they can stitch with no pressure. 

We classified and coded the dyed yarn, labeled it with creator name, color names given by the creators and listed out the ingredients we used. People can select the code matched on my color sketches then start to embroidered the color on during the exhibition period as it is open to the public everyday.

It is a conclusion of my experience working with local women for more than 10 years. I found that a full time housewife can be cheerful, feeling success during art making with some conditions. Artwork making can reduce the distance between housewife and artist, housework and artwork, home and museum.

Artist Statement

Cooperation is a process of mutual learning, and the work is the result of everyone’s different life wisdom. I raise questions and everyone answers them, and we come together to discuss and learn from each other. This work “Household wisdom practice workshop- dyeing landscape” is also an experiment of my perspective on this time. I used the landscape tapestry of Tsuen Wan as the goal of creation, and the participants explored how to complete it through collaboration, including using daily life ingredients as natural materials. I also became a learner of dyeing methods and embroidery techniques in the process.

成品：染色山水一至四
2022
物料：自然染毛線、木框布本

藉著CHAT六廠（六廠紡織文化藝術館，香港）之社區項目「種學織文」創作

與循道衛理亞斯理社會服務處以下成員協作：陳妹妹、陳恩雲、黃月嬌、洪明玉、吳承雲、陳洪洪、林娟、謝美芳、陳金鳳、曹嘉欣、 李淑芬、朱亞尾、陳欽、何雋