Lin Fanglu
Photo: courtesy of the artist
Lin Fanglu
China born 1989
Level 2
NGV International
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PROJECT
In her textile works, Lin Fanglu seeks to foreground the often overlooked work of female artisans by exploring traditional crafts through a contemporary lens. In She’s four seasons, Lin, she draws on her own experience of learning the ancient tie-dyeing techniques of the Bai people in Zhou Cheng village, Yunnan province. The work celebrates the Bai women’s millennia-old craft by focusing on the physically challenging and time-consuming preparatory process of tie-dyeing – the continuous act of knotting, twisting and tying the cotton fabric by hand to create rich textures – that usually remains unseen. This epic scaled work of contemporary craft reminds us of the deep and enduring relationship between people and textiles – resulting in highly nuanced styles and techniques that vary across geographical and cultural contexts.
ABOUT
Lin Fanglu is a Chinese artist who combines traditional Chinese crafts with contemporary art. She was winner of the prestigious Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2021. She studied at Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, and the School of Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in household product design. She has undertaken exchanges at the Karlsruhe University of Art and Design and Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan. Her first solo exhibition at Art+ Shanghai Gallery, Threads of Change, 2022, explored the need to unveil the important work of women makers, in particular the craftswomen of Bai and Dong ethnic minority groups in China.
Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Vicki Vidor OAM, Ginny Green and Bindy Koadlow, 2023
This project is proudly supported by LOEWE