Brocade works show artistic creativity

A traditional Chinese qipao dress woven in brocade and currently on display at a museum in Beijing is drawing art lovers as it doubles as a canvas for Vincent van Gogh's iconic painting Irises.

The fabric's intricate weave renders the painting's brushstrokes. Deep blue petals sweep upward from the hem, interlaced with lush green leaves, while green trim and knotted buttons at the collar echo the flowers' hues. The dress is among more than 130 works on display at the Touring Exhibition of the Innovative and Inherited Works of Chinese Brocade Craftsmanship in the New Century. The Beijing leg of the exhibition, held at the Xinhua News Agency Art Museum, runs from Aug 19 through Sept 17.

The exhibition showcases the expanding scope of artistic expression and innovation in contemporary Chinese brocade through a wide range of works, including a brocade painting that uses modern weaving techniques to recreate the texture of oil painting, a piece featuring a giant panda, and a wall hanging rich in ethnic Zhuang character.

Brocade originated in China and is regarded as one of the most sophisticated forms of silk craftsmanship. Over more than 2,000 years, different regions across China have developed distinct brocade traditions, including Shujin, Songjin, Yunjin and Zhuangjin. In 2009, the craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

"Brocade reflects the artistic creativity and wisdom of our ancestors," said Li Jialin, curator of the exhibition and director of the research center for silk and fashion culture at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University.

For Li, keeping the ancient craft alive means more than preserving tradition. It also means drawing on the past to "create something new" — a message he hopes the exhibition will convey.