A thread of creativity

"It was a big encouragement," Guo says.

She turned part of her apartment into a workshop and has concentrated on fiber sculpture ever since. Guo inherited traditions while attempting to innovate. She interlaced knitting wools with cotton to improve the luster, and borrowed from Chinese painting, sculpture and modern lighting to make her pieces more artistic. One of her most unforgettable pieces resembles a long painting that runs more than 6 meters and is 2.7 meters in height. It took her several months to complete.

"It was one of the biggest I had done, and my apprentices and former colleagues even arranged a lift for me to reach the higher parts," Guo says.

Her works began to foster an appreciation for the craft, and various museums started to collect them. It also helped bring more attention to the craft, which was on the verge of disappearing. In 2010, cotton picture production was named as an intangible cultural heritage in Zhangzhou.

"Cotton pictures are pure handicraft, and every piece is one of a kind," Guo says. "It takes years just to acquire all the basic skills, and creating a cotton picture is also time-consuming. It can't be done without patience and willpower."

Under Guo's influence, her daughter Lyu Jiahui has taken to the craft. Lyu began to learn from Guo during her spring and summer vacations in college, and her participation has brought fresh ideas. In addition to studying traditional patterns, characterized by birds and flowers, Lyu has developed designs that appeal to the younger generation. "I'd like my works to be a bit more cute and lighthearted," she says.

Lyu has created a series of works that feature the animals of the Chinese zodiac and the mascots for the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing and Hebei province.

Lyu takes pride in the understanding that her works have not been sidelined by her mother's sense of tradition, but instead have gradually been accepted by Guo. "I'm trying to make her accept my new ideas, some of which she quite likes," Lyu says.

Guo and Lyu now often go to schools and communities to promote fiber sculpture. To date, Guo has trained more than 20 artisans. She says her greatest joy now comes from her 4-year-old granddaughter. "She sometimes stands close to me and watches very carefully when I am working on a cotton arrangement," Guo says. "I hope it plants the seed of interest in her."

Yang Jie contributed to this story.