Intangible Thread - Part II, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 2022

Text by Xiangmei Su

Xiangmei Su was born and raised in Suzhou, China. Crossing the Pacific to Vancouver, Canada, Su encountered both harmony and tension along the journey. She carried with her beautiful childhood memories and the deep-rooted influence of Chinese culture. In order to find a sense of belonging, she struggled to learn and adapt to Canadian culture. Through this process, she came to realize how her sense of self has been transformed—shaped by space and time, interwoven into a complex configuration of individuality and identity.

Like the barrels of thread she brought with her to Vancouver, her experiences began to intertwine with her new surroundings. Thread by thread, they blended with Western culture, creating something entirely new. These notions layered and overlapped, forming shifting patterns that ultimately give rise to a transcultural identity.

Weaving, once a vital traditional industry in Suzhou, was passed down to me by her grandmother and mother. She carries this legacy forward in her contemporary art practice, reimagining the act of weaving on canvas as a way to explore cultural continuity and transformation. Her series of nineteen artworks, exhibited at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden—modeled after the traditional Suzhou garden—creates a new dialogue between two cultures, and a poetic connection between two different regions.​​