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CITY HIDE AND SEEK

JING LI

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I am a textile designer deeply influenced by my culture. I am now based in China and the UK.I like to blend traditional craft with modern design through storytelling. I focus on the clash between materials and craft. I see textiles a a yarn that connects cultural heritage and personal memories. There were many accidents and mistakes would appear during my working process. I have learnt to appreciate a wabi-sabi sensibility, which brings character and warmth to my work

I am a textile designer deeply influenced by my culture. I am now based in China and the UK.I lik...

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“City Hide-and-Seek” feels like a playful game, mixing my hometown Quanzhou’s sea-and-land memories into ceramics and knitting. The project uses these materials to help people notice the culture from daily life that are often ignored—fisherwomen’s traditions, texture from ceramics, patterns on buildings—and bring them back into our lives. Ceramics stand for calm and stability, while knitting is as flowing as waves. Together, they also respond to each other like a game of hide-and-seek. I believe cultural innovation doesn’t have to overturn tradition; it starts by respecting what each material is and finding the most honest way to show it. In echoing to the tradition, we need to understand and respect materials, and then add fresh ideas with a new view.

I hope that, when people touch or admire my work, they can feel the warmth and power of culture.

Final work

I used techniques such as inlay, holding, pocket knitting, and crochet to emphasize a handcrafted feel. In addittion, inspring by knotting traditions

3 images showing knitted and crocheted samples, some floral, some with beading in red, turquoise and white

These swatches are knitted samples from the City Hide-and-Seek project, embedding small ceramic beads into the knit structure to showcase Quanzhou’s u

These samples are part of the “City Hide-and-Seek” project, embedding small ceramic beads into knitted structures to echo the fisherwomen’s motifs and

Based on this series of explorations, I further developed my main product—a portable tea pouch. The design was inspired by the tea culture of Quanzhou

Monofilament-knitted ceramic textiles achieve structural integrity while introducing fluidity to rigid porcelain. The core grid patterns extend outward via hand-crocheted lace innovations, culminating in a collapsible multifunctional carrier that harmonizes heritage craftsmanship with contemporary mobility.

Inspired by Hui’an women’s "Zhuìzai" ornaments, this textile develops a series of pattern modules. Selected modules are first crocheted in cotton thre

Inspired by Hui’an women’s "Zhuìzai" ornaments, this textile develops a series of pattern modules. Selected modules are first crocheted in cotton thread, then kiln-fired to transform into ceramic pieces. Using varied techniques and materials, these ceramics become standalone units, finally reassembled through innovative connections — reimagining tradition through radical material transformation.

Research and process

Rooted in Quanzhou’s unique dual land-sea cultural identity, this work fuses the symbols of two worlds: "Land" embodied by Dehua porcelain and "Sea" e

Rooted in Quanzhou’s unique dual land-sea cultural identity, this work fuses the symbols of two worlds:

"Land" embodied by Dehua porcelain and "Sea" evoked by traditional fisherwomen’s patterns.

Inspired by the geometric sash patterns of Huian fisherwomen, this portable tea ritual set reinterprets traditional motifs through revolutionary material fusion. 

The exterior is crocheted with reclaimed plastic fishing net lines, creating a dialogue with the internal ceramic-textile hybrid. Together, they narra

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CITY HIDE AND SEEK

“City Hide-and-Seek” feels like a playful game, mixing my hometown Quanzhou’s sea-and-land memories into ceramics and knitting. The project uses these materials to help people notice the culture from daily life that are often ignored—fisherwomen’s traditions, ...

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