Xuelian Wang

Xuelian Wang is a textile designer who has a deep passion for colour. Her creative inspiration stems from nature, and colour and materials play a vital role in her work. She explores how to achieve vibrant and diverse colours through natural dyeing methods and raw materials. Her designs evoke a sense of the healing power of nature and colour, reflecting her thoughtful approach to sustainable textiles.

Xuelian’s work was invited to participate in the 3rd CMF Trends LAB exhibition in China in 2023.

As a textile designer, nature provides me with endless inspiration. Influenced by biophilic design principles, I aim to establish a connection between humans and nature in my work while minimizing the impact on the natural environment.

Colour, materials, and techniques play vital roles in my creations. Throughout my journey at RCA, I have explored various ways of deriving colours from nature. I have drawn rich inspiration from plants in nature and combined it with colour psychology to develop my unique colour palette. In this project, I have explored the potential and possibilities of natural dye. I conducted experiments using eight different natural plant dyes, resulting in a rich variation of colours through blending different pigments.

I aim for my work to minimize the environmental impact of textiles to the greatest extent possible; this involves using natural fabrics and discarded textile materials. Additionally, I seek to create a healing effect by combining colour, materials, and techniques to stimulate people's senses.

Pattern Sample – Inspired by my experiences in the spring garden, I feel healed by the colours of various plants and flowers.

Colour Palette – I amplify certain colours found in plants and depict the dynamic sensations they evoke in my own visual language.

Pattern Sample (Rose)

Pattern Sample (Peony)

Colour Inspiration (1/2)

Colour Inspiration (2/2)

Dye Liquor – During the dyeing process, I became mindful of the water wastage and environmental pollution caused by modern dyeing methods. This led me to explore using natural dyes to achieve the desired colours. I experimented with eight different natural dyes and made conscious efforts to recycle and reuse the dyes, minimizing my water consumption in the dyeing process.