There is an endless river. My hometown lies at one end, while I stand at the ever-extending other.

Born into a lineage of four generations of Xiaoshan lacemakers - a craft introduced by European missionaries over a century ago – At the age of 14, I moved to the United States, where an international environment expanded my understanding of lace as both a personal memory and a cultural artifact. The complexity of lace is deeply rooted in me, and I am constantly aware of multilayered narratives underneath of “tradition” and “heritage”.

I blend inherited craft knowledge with contemporary artistic strategies to critique notions of tradition and hybridity. My work often utilizes traditional techniques like lace-making, weaving, and ikat-inspired dyeing to challenge the boundaries between craft and fine art. For example, I incorporated fragmented ikat-dyed threads into lace structures. Through this, I explore themes of hybridity, ecological sustainability, and the socio-economic roles of craft in both historical and contemporary contexts. 

Through site-specific installations and collaborative projects with local craftswomen, I examine how traditional techniques can adapt to modern ecological and social contexts. My research adopts an empirical approach, focusing on qualitative methods to collect first-hand data essential for exploring the questions such as: How can the structural hollowness of lace embody narratives of cultural hybridity? How can material processes reflect the intersections of ecology and identity?

Rivers (Qinnan Zhu) is an artist who was born in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou,China, and came to the United States when she was 13. She received  M.F.A in Fiber and Material Studies from School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023 and B.F.A in Studio Arts majoring in Fiber and minor in Book arts from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2020.

She is the recipient of the Clay Morrison Scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2022, the Lenore G. Tawney Foundation Scholarship from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2019, as well as Novak Perkins Full Scholarship from Penland School of Craft in 2023. In 2023, She had her solo exhibition [Trace with the thread- Lace on an enclosed island] exhibited at the SITE gallery in Chicago, U.S. She currently divides her time between Tokyo and Chicago, where she both lives and works.

Contact: riverscichlids@gmail.com