Chief Curator, Professor Lin Lecheng of Tsinghua University invited Marc Leuthold to create fiberart sculptures to exhibit in the 12th “From Lausanne to Beijing” International Fiberart Biennale Exhibition at the Yunnan Museum in China. For decades, this exhibition has served as the world’s foremost fiberart exhibition. 

Professor Lin invited Leuthold to work collaboratively with China National Craft Master Ai Jing Wei’s studio in Yunnan Province. In North America, Leuthold filmed short videos and created paper templates and maquettes.  Using Leuthold’s videos and stills, Mr. Ai’s artisans recreated the sculptures in silk.  Leuthold also directed variations of the historic indigo dying process to allow for varied results. This experiment yielded a collection of silk sculptures that, in combination with porcelains, are being exhibited in the Biennale among established fiberart masters. 

Leuthold comments, “My parents studied at the STF Schweitzerische Textilfachschule in Zurich and wove fabrics for decades. As a child, I designed for my father and from ages 12 to14, I wove every day. Blue and white porcelains are a revered tradition in China. Now, as a ceramist with my personal history, working with indigo to create blue and white silk sculptures seemed especially intriguing. I am deeply grateful to Professor Lin and Master Ai for supporting this project.”