Ziqiu Feng

Wilted Grace explores the visual language of mourning and remembrance in Western culture.

Inspired by gothic architecture and cemeteries I encountered during a trip to Edinburgh, this project reflects on how grief and memory are expressed through design.

I was particularly struck by the emotional softness present in tombstones and epitaphs, which challenged the traditional fear and finality often associated with death.

The project also draws from the gothic ballet Giselle and Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, marking my first time using literature and performance as core research sources.

Through a mixture of digital embroidery, hand beading, and laser-cutting on soft faux leather, I aimed to create richly layered surfaces that reflect the fragile beauty of memory.

Wilted Grace represents a personal shift in both aesthetic and method — from Eastern influences to a more Western gothic approach, and from everyday inspiration to storytelling and emotion rooted in cultural rituals around death.