Horizontal Crossings, Hanshan Art Museum, Suzhou - China, 2019

Travelogue by Pauline Nijenhuis

Lala de Dios, the president of ETN (European Textile Network), introduced me to Assadour Markarov, professor at the China Academy of Art (Fiber Art Department) in Hangzou.
In his the project Horizontal Crossings, Assadour wanted to introduce his art students and professional Chinese silk embroiderers to contemporary Western embroidery. Alice Kettle (Textile Artist and Professor of Textile Art, Manchester Metropolitan University UK) and I were invited to give a 5-day workshop. Alice taught about machine embroidery and I talked about my work process, artistic experiment and my way of embroidery by hand.

This exchange also included an exhibition, multiple lectures and interviews about our work in the Hanshan Art Museum.

I want to thank everyone who made this trip unforgettable for me.
Thanks to Suzhou SNDCC Group and the great team at the Hanshan Art Museum. Which made it possible to visit Suzhou University, China Academy of Art, beautiful Liangzhu art center and library and Chinese Garden in Suzhou.
Not to mention the culinary experiences throughout the stay!

I have enjoyed teaching the inquisitive students of Suzhou University and China Academy of Art, the professional embroidery ladies of the studios of the artists Zou Yingzi, zven Liang Xue Fang. And I have incredible respect for the embroidery skills of the artists Zou Yingzi, Liang Xue Fang and Suzhou Weihong Textile & Embroidery Company and their teams of embroidery ladies.

And special thanks to Alice Kettle, it was great to work with her during this recidency!

I hope to see everyone again in the future.

Pauline Nijenhuis June 20, 2019