Major trends in the development of modern fiber art in China

Chzhan Chao PhD in Art History Postgraduate student, Department of Design and Arts, St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design. Russia, 191186, St. Petersburg, Bolshaya Morskaya St., 18 174460142@qq.com

1 The future of Chinese contemporary fiber art is an important topic in the development of contemporary art.

 In the XXI century, the art of fiber in China continues to develop, its popularity is growing.  International shows, competitions, and exhibitions are increasingly being organized: the International Fiber Art Biennale "From Lausanne to Beijing" has been held for more than 10 years.  The world gets acquainted with the work of modern Chinese artists. In turn, Chinese craftsmen get an idea of the international development trends in the field of fiber art. International ties are strengthening and cooperation with artists from different countries is growing ^[1].

Biennales bring great benefits to the development of art. First, they allow for the exchange and interaction between Chinese and foreign cultures. Art transcends borders and unites countries, peoples, and times. Despite the fact that it allows you to create a single value field, art provides an opportunity to express cultural uniqueness and significance ^[2]. For example, the German artist Bernhard G.Lehmann, the author of the work "Rain Dance" (Figure 1) ^[3], is fond of traditional Chinese painting ^[4]. The artist reinterprets her traditional techniques from the point of view of a Westerner, presenting them to the viewer in a completely new visual experience. Unlike the figurative Chinese folk art of embroidery, Lehmann focuses on the texture of silk thread and its meaning. As he says himself: "Smooth silk threads and a loose stitch are able to convey the shape of falling raindrops, and the refraction of light at different angles gives them a dynamic and diffuse character, which vividly expresses the variability of nature" ^[5].

Thus, the clash of different cultures manifests itself, and the mutual understanding of artists from different countries continues to strengthen the interaction between cultures. National culture gives foreign artists the opportunity to better understand, and their artists the opportunity to take a fresh look at their own national culture. In the future, this will allow them to better interpret their national art. They will be able to create works of fiber art with Chinese specifics without losing the zeitgeist.

Figure 1. Bernhard G.Lehmann, "Rain Dance"

12th International Fiber Art Biennale "From Lausanne to Beijing",2020, Yunnan, China

Secondly, the richness of materials determines the variety of artistic themes. The use of new materials is something that modern textile artists like to try in the creative process. For example, polyvinyl chloride fibers, stainless steel, wire mesh, sponge, feathers, rubber, wooden boards, bamboo leaves. This provides a broader basis for the development of the art of modern textile artists ^[6].

Nowadays, many artists are striving to use and develop new materials. The main reason for this is that they can express abstract ideas in a way that other traditional materials are not capable of. For example, South Korean artist Kim Sungjin ^[7] creates a series of fibrous works from used plastic bags. It forms the general shape of a cloud from plastic bags, and at the moment of achieving "perfection" with the help of a hot air blower, it quickly heats and fixes it in order to "remember" it. However, the silkiness, elasticity and fluidity of plastic bags make it difficult to find and fix the "ideal" shape. But it is the variability of soft materials and "random variables" that cannot be fully predicted that make the final effect of the work unpredictable and consistent with the expected state of the clouds. She called these "plastic clouds" "Forms of meaningfulness" (Figure 2, 3), intending to give "meaning" to leftovers, discarded or ignored objects of everyday life so that they can "turn waste into treasures." And turn them into a meaningful work of art.

Figure 2. Kim Sung-jin, "Forms of Meaningfulness", 2017, Beijing

Figure 3. Kim Sung-jin, "Forms of Meaningfulness", 2019, Kunming Ivy Art Museum

Thirdly, the 21st century will become a whole world for Chinese textile artists. From the middle of the 20th century to the end of the 1990s, the development of modern fiber art shifted from Europe to the United States, then to Japan, and the center shifted again to the East. All of them have dominated and led the development of the international fiber art field in the past and have played a vital role in it. Over the past few years, the International Fiber Art Exhibition has also been successfully held in China. China is gradually moving towards becoming a strong country in the Asian textile art ^[8].

2 The modern context of the development of fiber art in China

Currently, the development of fiber art in China mainly depends on academic exchanges at colleges and universities. Fiber art is a multidisciplinary, borderline and interdisciplinary subject, and mixing it with other related disciplines is still far from enough, making it difficult to advance.

The modern Chinese fiber art mentioned in this article actually refers to academic art. The current situation with modern Chinese fiber artists can be explained by this aspect. Materials on the statements of fiber artists such as Lin Lesheng and Shi Hui were analyzed. Professor Lin Lesheng spoke optimistically about the real state of affairs in the studios of the Art fiber Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University ^[9]. Studios survive well because teachers and students receive their main income from participating in various exhibitions or accepting commissions, and also receive some remuneration from teaching or co-producing works of art for other art academies ^[10].

Professor Liang Shaoji, one of the representatives of the Southern Style, believes that the lack of independent studios is the main reason for the poor survival of Chinese fiber artists. For example, Liang Shaoji usually accepts outside orders in his own studio in order to generate more income and provide financial support to create his expensive fiber creations.

Another reason for the poor survival of textile artists is the lack of an appropriate professional art market in China, the lack of understanding of fiber art. Currently, there are no galleries in China specializing in the sale of fiber art, and given the huge art market in the country, the lack of such places really requires attention.

There are only a small number of textile art creators who have founded their own studios, but their work is still based on utilitarian art and rarely reaches the height of pure art ^[11]. There are very few freelance textile artists in the country, and today Chinese textile art, mainly divided into northern and southern schools, has its own unique features.

China is a huge country with rich cultural and ethnic diversity, which has regions whose fiber art also has unique features. For example, textile art colleges in northwest China are distinguished by an emphasis on local culture and the peculiarities of the visual resources of this region.

At the same time, in the south of the country, due to the high level of development of textile industry technologies, fiber art works stand out especially. Traditional Chinese culture gives modern fiber art not only a pattern or shape, but also a design concept. Authors should make the best use of materials and processing methods to integrate material and spiritual functions into design work.

In recent years, the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts has taken the initiative to create a theoretical fiber art system, so that Fiber Art as a humanitarian subject has become known and understood by an increasing number of people. In 2000, the Academy established the Fiber Art Studio, which officially engaged in teaching, research, and external academic exchanges. Since then, research groups have also been established in major art schools in China, which has made a great contribution to the development of modern fiber art in China.

In such social conditions, the quality of Chinese fiber artworks made a qualitative leap forward. High-level works were selected to participate in large-scale exhibitions in the country and abroad, where they received many awards ^[12]. "From Lausanne to Beijing – The International Fiber Art Exhibition 2000" and the subsequent art exhibition "West – West", held in Xi'an in December 2001, became a grand event in the field of fiber art. The exhibition of Chinese artists demonstrated to the whole world the depth of Chinese civilization, as well as stylistic concepts and the Chinese style of modern fiber art.

The works "You and Me" by Yue Song from the Institute of Fiber Art of Tsinghua University (Figure 4) ^{[13, 14]} and "Clear, Far and Quiet" by Li Wei (Figure 5, 6) ^[15], professor of the Department of Design and Clothing of the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, received the Gold Prize of the International Biennale of Fiber Art "From Lausanne to Beijing."

Figure 4. Yue Song, "You and me"

Figure 5. Li Wei, "Clear, far and Quiet", 2009

Figure 6. Li Wei, "Clear, far and Quiet", 2011

The development of domestic fiber art must go through a long period of accumulation and formation. The Chinese concept of fiber art is characterized by a deep cultural heritage and unique aesthetics. This art form not only focuses on the selection and use of various materials, but also emphasizes the combination of traditional crafts and modern art, reflecting the sophistication and connotation of oriental art ^[6].

The development along the path of diversity will inevitably become the future direction of Chinese fiber art. Artists should actively develop the art of "soft sculpture" and works characteristic of installations. They should strive for diversity in the themes, techniques, or forms of their creativity. This is the only way to elevate works of art to the height of pure art and increase their value.

The "soft sculpture" mentioned above is a form of sculpture using soft materials such as fabric, fiber, rubber, etc. Soft sculpture tends to pay more attention to the fluidity of form and spatial interaction, giving people a richer and three–dimensional artistic experience.

The formation of the norm of the domestic fiber art market is a task that must be solved in the future. This norm is to establish uniform standards to ensure the quality of works of art, maintain order in the market and promote the healthy development of art.

The development of the fiber art market in the future may lead to the emergence of professionals like gallery directors who will manage the textile art market, providing artists with more guarantees and opportunities to create international-class works with Chinese characteristics.

3 Creative connections between textile artists

It is impossible not to mention the International Biennale "From Lausanne to Beijing". It not only provides a platform for demonstrating the works of domestic fiber artists, but also brings China closer to the world, where there are relatively few artists who can participate in foreign exhibitions. And this is not to mention the exchange with foreign artists. Contemporary Chinese fiber art is inseparable from the promotion of the biennale in China.

Mr. Lu Xun once put forward a famous saying: "What is national is global." This is a simple statement, but its subtext seems to require conditions for its implementation. It is an expression of cultural concern, meaning that all the peoples of the world live together peacefully and without discrimination.

Modern fiber art in China enjoys a certain reputation in the world, but it has not yet become the mainstream of the world's artistic thinking. The phrase "what is national is global" is a kind of expectation for domestic textile artists. Foreigners predict that the next hundred years will belong to China, although this is only the forecast of a small number of experts ^[12].

Although there is not enough market for fiber art in China, and economic development and spiritual civilization need to be improved, the prospects for the development of modern fiber art in China are presented with an optimistic outlook.

Teachers and students of educational institutions are the main force in creating works from fiber. They are young, energetic, keep up with the times, they always have an enthusiasm for creativity, and the growth of foreign exchanges has increased the level of creating art from fiber. Artists with their own enthusiasm participate in this, leading China's modern fiber art to development and prosperity. This active atmosphere can give an impetus to the development of the modern fiber art sector, and eventually allow China to become the world's strongest fiber art country.

Conclusion

A study of modern Chinese fiber art conducted over the past few months has shown that the prospects for the development of fiber art, especially within the framework of modern Chinese art, are very promising. China is currently a developing country, its economic and technological development is being held back, and the fiber art market is still missing. This leads to its relatively slow and unfavorable development. Despite this, there are significant positive aspects.

The Academies of Arts in China, acting as the main force in the field of textile art, are constantly enriching this field with new ideas and approaches. The holding of international textile art biennales in China reduces the distance between China and the world, promotes the fusion of cultures and the recognition of Chinese textile art at the international level.

Nowadays, more and more artists are coming into the field of fiber art to show their skills and let their work shine on the world stage. The richness of the plastics of the creative forms of fiber artists depends on the differences in the properties of textile materials, so that they can more fully express the advantages of these materials and give people the pleasure of beauty. Traditional and new fiber materials, as well as techniques for their use, have received a new interpretation. It is assumed that in the near future, modern works of fiber art will become not only generally understood and recognized by the public at the national level, but also worldwide.