What is your root?: Vivian Qiu
2 August 2023 - 24 November 2023
Curator:
Artist(s): Vivian Qiu
Location: Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre
In this exhibition, artist and jewellery designer Vivian Qiu explores cultural identity and the significance of understanding personal heritage and sense of self. Vivian creates wearable artworks that are imbued with history and symbolism, which serve as a bridge between past and present, connecting contemporary narratives and ancient traditions.
Vivian draws inspiration from oracle bone scripts—an ancient language engraved on turtle bones during the Shang Dynasty, which forms the the foundation of the modern Chinese language. By intertwining her own experiences with the richness of traditional Chinese culture, Vivian’s artworks convey a testament to the resilience and complexity of cultural identity.
This exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their own ancestry and embrace the healing power of reconnection to heritage and culture.
Vivian Qiu is a jewellery designer and teaching artist with a fashion design background. Her practice focuses on sentiment, self-healing and cultural identity through the use of rice fabric and rice clay. She has presented interactive workshops at significant cultural organisations, including the National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, the Immigration Museum, RMIT First Site Gallery and Geelong Wool Museum.
Vivian undertook an artist residency at McKinnon Secondary College as part of a 6-month Creative Workers in Schools program initiated by Regional Arts Victoria in 2021. She has studied jewellery in Australia and Sweden. Vivian continues to research and develop educational programs focusing on cultural identity and well-being.