shiqing-qiu__unknown__ual__2025

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School: RCA
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Year: 2025
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Source: https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/691600/cover

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# Project Description

The Formless

Shiqing Qiu

Summary

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This project explores Buddhist philosophy through the concept of formlessness , examining how belief is shaped, interpreted, and continually transformed through the body, ritual, and perception. Drawing on early Buddhist aniconism, the historical avoidance of depicting the Buddha in human form, instead using traces such as gestures, footprints, or absence, the work understands belief as experiential rather than image based.

The project is relevant in a contemporary context where fashion functions as a time-sensitive visual language, shaped by shifting cultural and personal meanings. By dissolving recognisable imagery, the work questions image-driven consumption and proposes fashion as a space for reflection rather than representation.

A series of sculptural fashion artefacts developed from handmade translucent paper derived from corn husks and plant fibres. Through papermaking, casting, carving, layering, and light experimentation, the artefacts progressively dematerialise abstracted Buddhist forms, moving from the figurative towards a state of formlessness.

This project explores Buddhist philosophy through the concept of formlessness , examining...

College London College of Fashion

Course MA Fashion Artefact

Graduation year 2025

This project explores Buddhist philosophy through the concept of formlessness , examining how belief is shaped, interpreted, and continually transformed through the body, ritual, and perception. Drawing on early Buddhist aniconism, the historical avoidance of depicting the Buddha in human form, instead using traces such as gestures, footprints, or absence, the work understands belief as experiential rather than image based.

The project is relevant in a contemporary context where fashion functions as a time-sensitive visual language, shaped by shifting cultural and personal meanings. By dissolving recognisable imagery, the work questions image-driven consumption and proposes fashion as a space for reflection rather than representation.

A series of sculptural fashion artefacts developed from handmade translucent paper derived from corn husks and plant fibres. Through papermaking, casting, carving, layering, and light experimentation, the artefacts progressively dematerialise abstracted Buddhist forms, moving from the figurative towards a state of formlessness.

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This project explores Buddhist philosophy through the concept of formlessness, examining how belief is shaped, interpreted, and continually transformed through the body, ritual, and perception. Drawing on early Buddhist aniconism, ...

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# Links

## Official page
- https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/691600/cover

## External
- tel:07881659936
- mailto:BgooSe2066583@outlook.com
- https://forms.arts.ac.uk/client-enquiry-form/
- https://portfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/16152232/The-research-and-process.pdf
- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F691600%2Fcover&text=The+Formless
- https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F691600%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F01%2F18183903%2F1201%25E2%2580%2594%25E2%2580%2594shooting6366-5.jpg&description=The+Formless