Wen Ying Huang

Know the Weaver # 7 July-August 2015

Wen-Ying Huang

Artist and TC2 user

Wen-Ying Huang is an extremely talented, versatile and internationally renowned artist from Taiwan. She completed her Master of Fine Art degree in Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, in 1993 and presently, she is an Associate Professor of the Graduate Institute of Applied Arts in Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan.

1. We are always curious to know how the artist’s journey as a weaver began, so what’s your story – how did weaving happen?

There is no hand weaving tradition in Taiwan except that of the aboriginal people. My college major was Home Economics Education. The curriculum and facilities were imported from the U.S. We studied diverse subjects - nutrition, textile science, handicraft, human development, etc. Luckily, I encountered books about hand weaving during college time. Hand weaving or fiber art is so intriguing to

me. But it was an area that was hardly known in Taiwan back in the early 1980s. Through the help of books, I made a rigid cardboard heddle back strap loom and started my learning journey. I had the chance to take a summer weaving workshop at the Handicraft Center of Taiwan and had my own floor loom, but did not know how to express myself through those materials and techniques. That was the reason why I went to the U.S. to study Fiber Art. During my graduate studying period, I did experience the full spectrum of fiber techniques and found my own vocabulary of my work.

Turn Point - Jacquard hand woven (cotton, spun polyester)

Because of my teaching job, I went back to weave structures, materials and discovered the enjoyment of weaving. From computer dobby weaving, I moved to computer jacquard weaving. I took different jacquard classes from individual and schools—Nina Jacobs, Louise Lemieux Berube of the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, Julie Holyoke and Eva Basile of Fondazione Lisio.

From those classes, I had chances to try on different jacquard hand looms and software. Thanks to all those people and classes, my jacquard weaving has a firm beginning.

2. You seem to have done it all – travelled extensively, showcased your works across global platforms, received numerous awards, teaching the art form (or a science as some would argue!) and we are certain you are still learning – what keeps you going?

Because there are a few people who do weaving here, especially jacquard hand weaving, I like to attend textile conferences or exhibitions to meet people who have the same interests and exchange ideas. That is one way to stimulate my research and art making. Thanks to the internet, we can find endless resources about weaving. And I am amazed by the many clever weaving ideas out there. Curiosity pushes me to explore. There are old weave structures I have not explored yet. More new ways of creating weaves have evolved after the assistance of computers.

I realize weaving is such a massive area that shows no boundary. For instance, couple years ago, I discovered that there are echo weave, interleaves weave, network drafting. Hand weaving is traditional but still active and progressive. The more I study weave structure, the more possibilities it shows. And it is a fun experience.

3. You are one of the most renowned artists from Taiwan who have made their name in the international art scene, how has your background and knowledge influenced your works?

When I studied in Cranbrook Academy of Art, few classmates did weaving. It was in the early 1990s, conceptual art, installation art and postmodernism were in the air. My work moved to using found objects with minimal hand manipulation, which is the so-called mixed media or soft sculpture. My 3D object works were well received in Taiwan’s art community in the 1990’s. By the year 2000, people did not understand my woven works because they were ‘woven’, and began to reject them.

Critics and my fellow artists thought of weaving is a craft and that woven work is not art. Despite those comments, I clearly know I love this rational way of art making. The micro 3D structure of weaves that create realistic image is so enchanting to me.

Before the turning point - Jacquard hand woven (cotton, ramie and polyester)

The Little Dress

Searching the possibility of weaving as an art form is my goal that has shaped my study since the year 2000. From 2001, the jacquard hand weaving has given me so many possibilities and immense fulfillment. ’Experiment and finding your own vocabulary’ is the important motto I got from my graduate study. And I follow it through my art career. Computer jacquard weaving involves many steps: warping, file preparation, test, weave and finishing. It is so different from straight-forward medium like: painting or drawing. But I try to find the spontaneous and intuitive side of jacquard hand weaving.

4. Could you share with us the details of some of your works that are the most special to you – past and present?

For the first ten years, I had tried many weave structures and materials. The “In Fire” is double weave, each layer has own image and interchanged. Red cotton layer has flame image is interchanged with the grey layer which has stainless steel weft. Contrast materials and innovative weave structures help to express the anxious mind of the little girl.

In Fire

Self Portrait

Uniform 1

“The Little Dress” is the early trial of 3D jacquard work. It was woven, cut and sewn to be a child dress. The image on skirt part needs to be multiplied to have the correct proportion after gathered. The weft is wire to give rigid effect and hold its own shape. The “Uniform 1” is the first one has metal warp and weft. The shiny and rigid metal yarn helps work to stand on itself without a skeleton. That is my concern of the dignity of the material.

By the time of my solo show “Overl(e)ap” in 2011, I began to feel the freedom of expression using jacquard hand weaving: computer software, yarn, structures and images. Because the impact of many nature disasters and socio-political turmoil, I had a strong feeling about the fragility of life and the concept of uncertainty. The theme of my work reflects my reaction of those accidents. I apply the echo and interleave weave idea to my jacquard work. Two or more images (weave structure) are interleaved to create obscure mixed image. “Self Portrait” and “Layers of Time” are the examples.

Layers of Time

Recently I use light sensitive yarn (reflective yarn, UV yarn) and embedded in the mixed weave structures. When different light hits work, different images will be revealed. One example is “Episode 1”. There are three light situations rotated: UV light, normal light and no light. Viewer will see different images.

“Searching 2” is an interactive work. Viewer use hand torch to search the embedded image.

My most recent work, for example: Revelation 2, is using tie-dyeing to reveal the hidden image in a white woven fabric.

Because cotton, wool and polyester take acid dye differently, different image will appear after dyeing with acid dye. These works are not as magical as the light series; but it has ink drawing quality that is interesting.

of working on the loom and the possibilities that if offers to the weavers.

From 2001, my first Jacquard lesson, till now I have used TC-1 for teaching and for my own work. For beginning students, it is a friendly Jacquard hand loom. It can tolerate diverse warp materials, even a stainless steel warp. Now I have a TC-2. TC-2 is a smart loom that has a lot of new features and a chic look. In the past, to join several panels to compose one image is the most difficult job. Now, the auto advance function of warp and fabric is the crucial tool for creating consistent weft density and good match of patched images.

(To see more of Wen-Ying Huang’s works, check out her portfolio here)

5. You have been working on the Thread Controller for many years now, and we would love to know about your experiences

Searching 2 under strong light

Searching 2 – Viewer interacts with work

Revelation 2