WHEN people think of bamboo weaving, many may picture everyday objects such as baskets and hampers. But in the hands of Qian Lihuai, it has become much more than a traditional craft. Born into a family of bamboo weavers in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, he has taken bamboo weaving to the world — to Paris, Venice and beyond.

Qian’s first major institutional solo exhibition, “Weft Genesis,” is on view at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center until Dec. 6. Spanning nearly 1,000 square meters, the exhibition features more than 20 large-scale bamboo works, inviting visitors to discover what bamboo weaving can express.

As a representative inheritor of Wuzhen bamboo weaving, a national intangible cultural heritage, Qian has moved beyond the utilitarian traditions of the craft, reinterpreting its structures, rhythms and spatial language. In his hands, an age-old bamboo tradition is transformed into an artistic expression with a distinctly contemporary sensibility.

Qian’s works have been exhibited at major art and design events and venues in China and abroad, including the Révélations International Biennial of Fine Crafts and Creation at the Grand Palais in Paris and Homo Faber in Venice. He has also collaborated with luxury brands including Chanel, Burberry, Bvlgari and Valextra.

Bamboo weaving is an inherently slow process. A medium-sized work can take at least a month to complete. Qian places great importance on his sketches, drawing whenever an idea strikes — in notebooks, on scraps of bamboo strips, wherever his hand happens to land. He calls these sketches “imprints held in place,” while describing bamboo weaving as “growth rings slowly taking shape beneath the fingertips.” A finished work is thus the accumulation of countless sketches and sensations.

“Weft Genesis” is not an exhibition where works are intended to be observed from afar. As light and shadow shift and the viewer’s perspective changes, his/her own experience becomes part of the work, revealing the flow of life through movement.

The largest work in the exhibition, “Explosion,” is a new piece created especially for the show. Nearly 100 woven bamboo spheres float within an almost completely darkened space, while light pours down from above, sending the intersecting shadows of bamboo strips across the walls and floor. Layer upon layer, the shadows resemble the chaos at the beginning of the universe and countless fleeting moments charged with life.

Dates: Through Dec. 6

Venue: Coastal Gallery, 1/F, Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Nanshan District (海上世界文化艺术中心1F滨海展馆)

Metro: Line 2 or 12 to Sea World Station (海上世界站), Exit A, then walk around 800 meters

(SD News)