In ancient China, embroidery was a favorite pastime for women. While regarded as a domestic skill, it was the one every woman, regardless of her standing, was expected to master.

For years, painting and embroidery were two integrated skills. Traditional embroidery refers to the creation of a beautiful layout with needles and thread. Artists copied classic paintings, and then sewed the same pattern in silk. But down the years the embroidery artists continued to add their own inspiration to tradition. Miao's "Upriver during the Qingming Festival" is a good example of how she added her own inspiration to a traditional masterpiece.

This seven-meter-long work is the second embroidery piece she has done on the classical theme. She painted the painting several times before creating the embroidery work.

"Every time I see that piece, new ideas come up into my mind, and that's the force that drives," she says.

Drawing inspiration from traditional art masterpieces is the most common way for creating embroidery works. Ancient landscape, beauties, flowers and creatures such as dragons, phoenix, tigers and cats, are among the most popular subjects.

However, Miao has started to forge a close relationship with some contemporary artists, hoping to draw new inspirations from them.

The communication with young artists and exploration in contemporary art world has opened a new field for her, and her latest embroidery work features a feeling of abstract oil painting.

Qiu Yulin is another creative genius who has made major breakthroughs in pottery, particularly polychrome pottery.

Pottery was once the skill used to make a bottle or vessel essential in daily life in ancient times. But over the centuries it evolved into an art form featuring works elegant in posture, delicate in handicraft and beautiful in color. Some of the pottery created in China thousands of years ago is simply beautiful.

"We can hardly make any breakthrough in pottery patterns," says artist Qiu, a Yixing native (Zhejiang Province), who has devoted more than 30 years to making polychrome pottery. "For years, I have been exploring new possibilities in the innovative shapes of pottery, which could be adopted for modern tastes while keeping to origin beauty."

One of his artworks, also his favorite piece on display in this exhibition, is a flat, crescent-shaped polychrome piece. A close look reveals two people dancing under the moonlight.

"A good piece of pottery can leave spaces for the imagination," says Qiu. "Innovation is the key of preservation. We absorb the essence of tradition while keeping up with modern tastes."

Qiu, 59, says he is the only man in China who still safeguards this endangered style of craftsmanship. He has trained lots of apprentices, yet most gave up and turned to learn zisha clay, which has boomed in the art market in recent years.

According to Qiu, not enough investors pay enough attention to pottery art, but he says he will continue his exploration of pottery and believes the future is bright.

Chinese handicraft exhibition
Date: through March 28, 9am-7pm
Venue: 240 Duolun Rd, Shanghai

(Shanghai Daily March 3, 2008)