Chinese Patchwork

Tracing the rich tradition of Chinese patchwork art in domestic and rural spaces, from its ancient origins to its contemporary manifestations Patchwork design has a long history in China, dating back almost two thousand years to the arrival of Buddhism in the region. Across millennia, a thread can be followed from spiritual practitioners embracing patchwork textiles as a visual expression of their beliefs to patchwork's use in secular culture, where it was prized for its protective powers. Eventually, patchwork became a form of domestic decoration—and an outlet for artistic ingenuity—that continues in some areas of China's countryside today. Chinese Patchwork explores the creativity of 20th- and 21st-century Chinese makers who stitch fabric remnants into functional, decorative and auspicious articles for use in their homes and by their families. These objects display a wide variety of designs, patterns and techniques, and reflect both local tendencies and the individual aesthetics