Ziyan Liu

Ziyan Liu (b.1999), a knitted textile artist and designer based in London, originally from Qingdao, China. With a unique language and personality that encompasses nature, space, colour, and the art of knitting, Ziyan has a deep love for the natural world and ecological environment. Drawing inspiration from nature and space, she dedicates herself to creating knitted representations of the nature that can be preserved for eternity. Through her knitting artistry, Ziyan creates different species of knitted plants, stretching the beauty of nature with different material. She imbues these botanical creations with distinct personalities and temperaments through her command of colour and knitting techniques. Her art showcases the various textures and life found in the natural world while staying true to her own inspired character. Ultimately, she aspires to craft a knitted utopian garden that belongs to Ziyan and everyone alike, where the beauty of nature and knitting converge harmoniously.

Ziyan's concept for knitted textile art is to "let the textiles happen," dedicating herself to infusing life into fabrics through the use of raw techniques and yarn. She focuses on how knitting art can express nature and space, as well as how colour can give textiles character and temperament.

As a knitted textile artist, she merges yarn and knitting techniques with the ideology of the natural world. She strives to create her own knitted ecosystem and shape her knitted natural realm using her personal knitting language. This series of inspiration stems from the Chinese endangered plant, Saussurea medusa Maxim, a rare and stunning plant that thrives in harsh mountainous conditions, yet possesses a beautiful appearance and texture. The captivating contrast and rarity of the Saussurea medusa Maxim fuel Ziyan's creative desire. She aims to bring this rare plant into her knitted garden and imbue it with a unique textile significance.

Each shape and curve of the yarn is a result of combining different yarns, which inspired Ziyan to create a floating-like knitted texture, representing a botanical texture in her knitted ecosystem. She crafts her personal knitted ecological texture through an ever-changing palette of colours. Without any stretching or secondary treatment, each fabric piece retains its original three-dimensional form.

Additionally, Ziyan integrates glass art and mirrors as complements to her fabric art, aiming to provide her knitted ecosystem with greater space and imagination. This creates a symbiotic relationship between textiles and other materials within the same space.