Traditional works to present picture-perfect Paris display

Twenty-eight embroidery works from Hunan province will be displayed in Paris at the end of this month at an event to promote Hunan's culture in France.

The Hunan Embroidery Show in Paris will give French visitors the chance to view up close silk works crafted by techniques that have been passed down over millennia.

Hunan embroidery, or Xiangxiu, has a history of at least 2,000 years. The art, which involves the use of silk thread to depict various images and patterns, has absorbed the spirit of Chinese paintings.

Xiangxiu artists use needles and threads to "draw" pictures based on traditional Chinese paintings and designed patterns. Xiangxiu renderings are usually more vivid than the original designs because of their three-dimensional effect.

Xiangxiu is among the top four Chinese embroidery arts, along with those from Jiangsu, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces.

In 2006, Xiangxiu embroidery was listed among the first batch of national-level intangible cultural assets.

The works to be exhibited in the French capital have all been created by artists at the Hunan Embroidery Research Institute, a leading research body and manufacturer of Xiangxiu products.

The institute has created the innovative art form of double-sided embroidery with different patterns, which has drawn wide praise from industry insiders across the world.

The institute's exhibits in Paris will include works featuring traditional Chinese designs, as well as pieces displaying French cultural elements, such as drawings of iris flowers and renderings of celebrated French paintings.

zhaoshijun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 08/26/2016 page17)