Xueming Zhou

Inspired by the fresco painting <Journey to the West> in Dafo Temple and Weiyi Li’s work, this project aims to explore and decode my own ‘Journey to the West’.

Through the research of my Eastern background and my current Western living environment, the two contrasting cultures, I try to combine them and make them disordered to reflect my actual life and mental feelings during the journey.

Inspired by the Kesa construction and style of dressing, the Eastern-styled ‘flatness folded’ pattern cutting technique, I blend the Eastern elements into the Western archetypes from the wardrobe research. By reconstructing the 'wheel of life' in Buddhism, I try to visualise my mental experience through various techniques: macrame, crochet, tassel and beading and introduce fabrics and yarns reflecting the cultural conflicts and integration.

I try to resonate with audiences with similar experiences or admire different cultures. They prefer high-quality products and are attracted by delicate and unique craftsmanship. I commit to showing cultural conflicts and integration in my life and sharing my journey with them through the collection.