Exhibition of Oriental Traditional Craftsmanship and International Public Art Forum Held in New York
GlobePRwire
On December 3, 2025, the “International Touring Exhibition of Oriental Traditional Craftsmanship and Contemporary Art” opened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event was co-organized by the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association and Shanghai University, and co-hosted by the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai University and the Shanghai Public Art Coordination Center.
The exhibition presented over a hundred pieces of handicrafts from various regions of China. It aimed to explore the vitality of cultural heritage, the potential for cross-cultural dialogue, and diverse pathways to sustainable development in the era of globalization through craft practices.
The exhibition was also presented at Columbia University as part of its tour.
Cultural Dialogue in Warp, Weft, and Stitch
The exhibited works included ceramics, embroidery, lacquer artwork, and metalwork, showcasing various approaches to reinterpreting traditional techniques in a contemporary context.
Chinese designer Ye Qing’s “Shanghai-style Crochet·Gysang flower” series combines patterns symbolizing Tibetan culture with Shanghai-style crochet knotting techniques. The “Shanghai Green” series explores the use of crochet lace and tulle materials in sustainable fashion. Ye Qing stated that her work aims to use fashion as a medium to bring Eastern aesthetics and intangible cultural heritage into international dialogue.
The work “Continuous Breath of Cloth,” created by intangible cultural heritage inheritor Zheng Fenlan and her daughter Xu Yike, was handwoven using natural fibers including corn husk, kudzu, hemp, and cotton. A live demonstration of the weaving technique was conducted during the exhibition, and the piece was donated to the United Nations Headquarters following the event as a testament to cultural exchange.
The work “Fang Lei Vessel” by Xiang embroidery representative inheritor Wu Jianmei attempts to recreate the form and motifs of ancient Chinese bronze ware using the silk threads and needlework of Xiang embroidery, exploring the artistic possibilities of interpreting historical artifacts with soft materials.
Works by Chinese craft artists Liu Jianghua, Liu Shuihua, Li Xuemei, and Xu Kezhuo were also featured in the exhibition.
These works collectively reflect a trend in the contemporary Chinese craft field, where creators combine a deep understanding of materials and techniques with their personal perspectives, contemporary themes, and cross-cultural considerations, thereby contributing to the evolution of tradition.
Forum: Constructing Art as a Flexible Mechanism for Dialogue
The concurrently held International Public Art Forum, themed “Art Practice from the Perspective of Cultural Exchange brought together curators, scholars, and practitioners from multiple countries.
Discussions focused on how art, as a flexible medium, can foster understanding and cooperation among people from diverse backgrounds in addressing global challenges such as climate change, social inclusion, and cultural heritage preservation. The teenage public art project “Connection – Intangible Cultural Heritage Illuminating the Future,” presented alongside the exhibition, which combines bamboo-weaving butterflies with children’s creations, embodies this concept of dialogue between generations and the transmission of hope.
Moving Beyond Display Towards Understanding
This exhibition and forum aimed to promote reflection on the value of cultural diversity. By presenting a series of works rooted in tradition yet engaged with the contemporary, the event sought to build a platform where different civilizations could meet on aesthetic and intellectual levels. It suggests that craftsmanship, as a living cultural practice, contains ecological wisdom, community memory, and creative logic that can offer distinct perspectives for contemplating global sustainable development and harmonious coexistence, thereby fostering mutual understanding among different civilizations.
In the United Nations, a symbolic venue for co-existence, these works engage in the dialogue about humanity’s shared future through their material form