Interwoven | Velvet Flower Creation by Chen Li-Fan at 2025 Island Craft Fair

From April 18 to 20, 2025, I presented my velvet flower works at Interwoven, part of the Island Craft Textiles exhibition held at Huashan, Taipei. During these three days, I encountered many viewers unfamiliar with velvet flowers, which led to meaningful conversations and exchanges.

Many asked: What is this? How is it made? Why this direction? Through their curiosity, I saw how traditional crafts, when reinterpreted through creation, can transcend age and background to touch people deeply.

This Q&A compiles the most frequently asked questions during the exhibition. I hope it helps you discover that velvet flowers are not only beautiful, but also offer a new way to reconnect with everyday life.

Chen Li-Fan | 2025 CCCDPS at Island Craft Fair

Velvet flower craft meets daily plant observation, revealing contemporary site-specific art.

Q1: What is this?

A1: This is “velvet flower,” a traditional craft dating back to the Tang Dynasty. Traditionally made with silk, I use rayon thread sourced in Taiwan—it’s more sustainable and easier for students to access. While traditional themes often feature peonies and phoenixes, I focus on everyday plants observed during my residency, using more subdued, natural colors to bring velvet flowers into the context of modern life.

Q2: How long does it take to make?

A2: The process is complex, but the time-consuming part is conceptualizing. My themes come from observation rather than tradition. I experiment with colors, forms, and compositions—each work is a new beginning, even when using traditional techniques.

Q3: What do you work on?

A3: I focus on three areas: creation, products, and workshops. This exhibition centers on creation, based on my 2024 residency at the Archipelago Art Field in Taichung. Inspired by alleyway plants and urban nature, I will continue this practice in 2025 at Wufeng Lin Family Mansion, with a new series launching in July.

Q4: Why this style? It’s quite different from tradition.

A4: I create from what intersects with my life—only what moves me can move others. Traditional symbols like phoenixes or peonies don’t reflect my daily world. I wonder: What happens when velvet flower meets the plants I walk past every day? That question drives my work.

Q5: Why did you choose velvet flower as your medium?

A5: I have a “One Craft Per Year” research project, focusing on sustainable reinterpretations of Chinese intangible heritage crafts. These beautiful traditions are fading, and I aim to reintroduce them through art. In 2023, I focused on velvet flower (without silk), 2024 on kingfisher feather inlay (without feathers), and 2025 on tongcao paper flowers. Each is a dialogue with tradition.

Q6: What do you hope people feel from your work?

A6: I hope viewers slow down and notice the small, often overlooked things. Velvet flower is more than a symbol of elegance—it can be memory, observation, and emotion. Let’s bring craft out of museums and into our daily lives.

If you have questions about the work, the craft, or my philosophy, feel free to ask or chat—I welcome every exchange.I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and I hope we can discover new connections within these intangible heritage crafts.

Interwoven | Velvet Flower Creation by Chen Li-Fan at 2025 Island Craft Fair