Textiles

Flow

Eiko Zhao

Exhibition

See it On Campus: Level 1

located first floor, near east facing entrance Insaid the sculpture studio!

Visitor Info

Major: Visual Arts

Culture flows like a river.

More than a thousand years ago, Japanese envoys to the Tang dynasty brought Chinese culture back to Japan.

From initial imitation, a distinct aesthetic gradually emerged during the Heian period,

and from that point, the two cultures began to diverge.

Today, Hanfu and Kimono have developed into two clearly different forms.

Yet beneath these differences, they still share the same structural logic—

based on flat pattern cutting, respecting the width of fabric,

and shaping the relationship between body and space through wrapping and layering.

What if this cultural exchange had happened at a different time, or in a different place?

What if a similar encounter had occurred again in the modern era?

Would these garments have evolved into another form of fusion?

This project is based on that speculation.

Using two historical moments—Sui-Tang and Heian, Ming and Edo—

explores a possible “re-fusion” shaped by cultural encounters across time.

Clothing is a reflection of history, and a continuation of cultural memory.

Through the recombination of elements and the reorganization of structure,

This work attempts to reveal a connection that has never truly been broken—

Culture may diverge,

But it never stops flowing.

Eiko Zhao

Growing up, I have long existed within an environment where multiple cultures coexist. Due to complex historical and political reasons, my perception of my own cultural tradition has been fragmented. This cultural discontinuity—formed by generational gaps, absences, and artificial severance—constitutes the core motivation behind my work.
I currently use clothing as my primary medium. Situated at the intersection of body, identity, and history, clothing serves as both a carrier of cultural memory and a manifestation of its continuous evolution. To me, identity is not something inherited; rather, it is constructed through a process of constant loss and “patchworking.” Therefore, designing and making garments that merge diverse cultural elements is a way for me to search for my own identity.
My interest in cross-cultural attire stems from an observation of how culture is “severed” in reality. Cultural traditions are not naturally separate; instead, they are constantly categorized and named under specific historical and political influences, causing originally tight-knit connections to become divided or even polarized. I do not seek to offer a direct critique of this phenomenon. Instead, I want to present a fact: cultural exchange has never truly stopped—it has only been restricted by man-made boundaries.
This perspective extends to my practice in ceramics, sculpture, and painting. These works often center on reflections of personal experience, self-exploration, and metaphors for social phenomena. I prefer to maintain a degree of ambiguity in my work, pointing toward underlying structures and issues by presenting the phenomena themselves.