Tradition without borders
Outside the international exchange exhibition hall, a wickerwork installation has provided a shade from the sun, allowing visitors to enter and experience firsthand various inset patterns.
It looks somewhat like a circular screen, with the tough yet flexible willow strands resembling flowing lines that sketch out undulating, wavelike patterns.
"This innovative installation brings together artisans from about 10 countries, including Poland, China, Slovenia, France, Senegal and Australia, to create a monumental circular structure from willow branches, symbolizing cultural connection and exchange," says Maciej Pawlak, a renowned Polish wickerwork artist who introduced the international collaboration project.
For instance, a German craftsperson created a willow fish pattern that is set in the wall of the structure, he notes, adding that artists from other countries have all contributed to distinctive elements to deliver gentle curves that reflect nature's absence of rigid shapes.
This project highlights wickerwork as one of humanity's oldest shared crafts, with some like Chinese traditions dating back thousands of years, he notes.
Born to a renowned wickerwork artist family, Pawlak emphasizes that while all participants share fundamental wickerwork techniques, each brings subtle cultural influences.
"What was everyday craftwork for our ancestors becomes today's artistic bridge between cultures," Pawlak reflects.
"The installation demonstrates how traditional skills can serve as vibrant contemporary mediums for international dialogue."
It was Pawlak's first visit to China, and the project has sparked plans for ongoing cultural exchange. He has extended invitations to Chengdu artisans for Poland's annual wicker festival, which typically attracts participants from over 70 countries.
"The cooperation with Chinese craftspeople has been tremendously successful," Pawlak remarks, expressing enthusiasm for establishing long-term institutional partnerships.
For Tamborska and Qiao, they managed to put the finishing touches to the women's silhouette painting right on the conclusion of the ICH festival, so many visitors got a close look at the process of the cross-cultural dialogue.
The painting will be preserved at Qiao's school museum, Qiao says.
"It would be a reminder of cultural collaboration that taught us to balance artistic vision with cultural authenticity — a lesson we're now passing to our students," she says.
