Vicky Huang

Vicky Huang is a craftswomen and textile designer motivated by traditional craftmanship and printmaking. Focusing on slow craft progress and storytelling, Vicky Huang’s work is rooted in physical and meditation both in process.

Vicky Huang is currently based in Scotland and London. She majored in Textiles Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee before her studies at the Royal College of Art.

Vicky Huang believes that to make the future a better place, it is important to reconnect to the past and understand previous traditions. This informs Vicky’s desire to break away from stereotypes around traditional techniques marked as ‘old-fashioned’ or ‘stuffy’ and instead developing her visual language around renewing traditional techniques within contemporary design concepts.

At the heart of Vicky Huang's practice is the curiosity to explore and understand the world.

Award

2021 Printed Textiles Award from The Clothworker’s Company in New Designer

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Degree Details

Returning to oneself: My concept for this project is that I use walking and repetitive craft processes as thinking tools to understand the world we live in today.

Philosophy of Circular Walks: The end of my walk brings me back to where I started, completing a full circle. I have completed a journey that is not only physical, but also metaphorical. I believe this process allows my thoughts to wander and helps me find myself again. I also believe that our transformation is tied to the state of the world, and changing the way we communicate with ourselves is an essential start to self-transformation.

Thinking through Making: I have been investigating this initial concept and responding to both visual and conceptual ideas through a range of exploratory processes. My work is rooted in physical and meditative processes, particularly the repetitive nature of the printing process. I am working on linocut prints that record time, space, and thought processes. Each engraving becomes an embodiment of thought – possessing its own unique presence.

Walking as a Tool for Thought: The project outcome is a textile installation art piece, which serves as my thinking tool. Inspired by the circle, my walks represent a discussion about returning to oneself. Based on my experiences from six walks, I used linocut print and screen printing techniques to create six pieces of textiles. These textiles reflect my emotional journey over the last year from struggle to self-consistency.

Denial and Isolation - Questions - Outbreak - Acceptance - Recharge - Self-consistency

Exploring the narrative of physical objects: I hope that the memories and experiences from my walks can be tangible to touch. I am searching for new mediums beyond photos and videos. The beach grass and stones that I pick up during my walks are specific carriers of time and place. These carriers embody my collections of specific locations.

My practice is deeply considered both in execution and in concept. Each engraving becomes an embodiment of thought, and each linocut has a tangible presence. The directness of mark-making in linocut reminds me of the step-by-step process of taking a walk. I use engraving – cutting grooves in the same way as I would employ any other medium for drawing.

The quietness and slowness of walking reminds me of blind embossing. A crucial aspect relating to my work with blind embossing is slowness – a fundamental point to everything I do in my work.

What is the potential of a slow craft process in mental well-being? The slow repetitive nature of engraving gives me space to process my thoughts and feelings. Physical processes and physical making slow us down and ask questions. I believe in the power of making to support healing and bringing joy.