He Qiru-FIBER ART of HANGZHOU, HANGZHOU TRIENNIAL OF FIBER ART

He Qiru

He Qiru was born in 1985 in Shenzhen, China. She graduated from the Affiliated High School of China Academy of Art, the Department of Environmental Art of China Academy of Art and the Design Studies Program of Central Saint Martins in the UK. She now lives and works in Shenzhen. He Qiru has been working in the field of education for many years, and has taught in many universities in Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as being a visiting scholar in Germany, Israel, the United States, and Canada for academic exchanges. He Qiru's artistic creations span multiple disciplines and media, and her signature works include “XOXO Doughnut” and “City Memory Puzzle Art Project”. Her work “Hakka Memory Quilt” has been reported by BBC Chinese Channel.

Hakka Memory Quilt.Mixed media.2025

“Hakka Memory Quilt” is the latest work of artist He Qiru's in-depth exploration and innovative presentation of Hakka culture, and the exhibition of 2025 marks a new interpretation of this project. Through the form of a tapestry, this work tells the heritage of Hakka culture and the continuation of emotions with a fresh visual language, granting a new vitality to the traditional art of quilting. As a Hakka member, He Qiru is well aware of the challenges of preserving Hakka culture in the context of globalization. Many of her relatives still live overseas, and this multinational experience strengthen a deeper emotional identity as a Hakka person and sense of responsibility for the preservation and re-creation of Hakka culture. Her Hakka research project aims to respond to the identity crisis of young Hakka descendants overseas in the process of modernization, especially their gradual alienation from their ancestral culture. Through organizing events, exhibitions and gatherings on the British Hakka Alliance Online Platform she founded in 2010, she actively promotes the re-examination and preservation of Hakka culture, especially in the multicultural environment of the United Kingdom, to further explore and reflect on the connotations and significance of Hakka culture

The craft of “quilting” has a long history, first originating in ancient Egypt and northern China, and then spreading to the American and European continents with the waves of immigration. In traditional Chinese society, 百家布“Hundred Cloths” also has the same meaning as quilting. This process usually involves cutting and stitching together fabrics that have been used by loved ones in order to preserve memories and emotions. This practice expresses the Hakka people's cultural characteristic of “bearing love with objects”, and also symbolizes the transmission and continuity of culture between generations. Unlike her previous online interactive works, the “Hakka Memory Quilt” from 2025 combines the traditional craft of quilting by hand with modern artistic expression, using the medium of tapestry as a way to honor cultural memory. Tapestry, as an art form embedded with a rich sense of history, has long lineages in many different cultures. Through this form, He Qiru reconstructs symbolic motifs and themes of Hakka culture, rejuvenating them in the context of modern art.

In this work, He Qiru ingeniously integrates traditional Hakka symbols with modern elements, and redefines the concept of “memory” by using innovative techniques in color, texture and composition. Each piece of quilting, each line, and each layer of overlapping, carries a cultural memory and transmits emotions. Through the tapestry, the artist not only explores the Hakka family memories that have been passed down from generation to generation, but also reflects the intimate connection and cultural identity between Hakka descendants and their own culture in the context of globalization.

The exhibition of this work not only enriches the context of Hakka culture in the process of globalization, but also provides the audience with a multi-dimensional platform for reflection, allowing people to re-examine how traditional culture can be revitalized and valued in modern society. As one of the major achievements of He Qiru's artistic creation in recent years, “Hakka Memory Quilt” marks her profound insight and unique contribution to cross-cultural communication and cultural recognition.

Photo source of the works: Provided by the artist