Art Silk – Cure

Stroking the silk thread to find the source, but found that the silk scarf began at the end of the Han Dynasty, called “cape”. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, small-sleeved jacket, half-arm, long skirt and cape were the standard for women (especially noblewomen).

In the Song Dynasty, the cape evolved into what we know as the xiapi. Zhang Baohua, professor and doctoral supervisor at Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, tells ancient Chinese stories on his beloved square inch silk scarves. His first independently designed Chinese silk square scarf was the ancient painting inspired by the picture of a traveling rider.

Unlike foreign designers who express the Orient in terms of graphics and subject matter (for example, the presence of a dragon in a piece of artwork is considered Oriental), Zhang Baohua thinks more about the culture behind the graphic – which dynasty is it from? What is it saying?

Auspicious clouds, Chinese characters, paper cuttings, shadow puppets, face paintings, ethnic costumes, porcelain, weaving and embroidery, in Zhang Baohua’s silk scarf designs, there are different ancient court arts, traditional folk arts, traditional paintings and traditional regional cultures.

“My designs are heavily influenced by Chinese design concepts – the picture must be intentional and the meaning must be auspicious. Many patterns in Chinese art must have auspicious meanings, including the culture inherent in the graphics we choose are positive, beautiful, and can move people.”

In Zhang Baohua’s studio, there are silk scarves specially prepared for foreign affairs activities. His silk scarf works are often sent to foreign dignitaries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies as accompanying gifts, and everyone loves his designs, which are gifts from China.