PEOPLE

Weaving ties with Amber Chen

To celebrate Lunar New Year, textile artist Amber Chen interprets themes of unity and togetherness in a series of unique handwoven pieces, showcased in selected COS stores.

'Home is the foundation’, says Amber Chen. The experiential woven textile artist, who often finds herself between Shanghai and Singapore, uses the language of weaving to bridge her past with the present. Inspired by the rearranging of texture, emotion, colour and the complexities of food – its ingredients, preparation and presentation – Amber weaves her creations like multi-layered experiences, each thread a memory or passing interaction with everyday life.

After pursuing womenswear design, where she received a BA at Singapore's Raffles Design Institute, Amber realised textiles aligned with a more expressive way of working. ‘Fashion design has a clear purpose, while fabric development and its application are more of an unknown state’, she says. ‘I think of fabric as material, rather than just fabric. Material has an objectivity; it often serves to support something else.’ As a result, Amber moved to London to study Textile Design at Central Saint Martins and mastered in Textiles at Royal College of Art, graduating in 2018.

Amber’s ongoing series, The Unwrapped-Wrapper, explores the relationship between everyday experiences such as traditional food wrapping and the sensory impact of everyday life. The piece details the transformation of textiles from 2D to 3D through jacquard weaving techniques that create intricate structures symbolic of close family ties. ‘My works are closely connected to my life, expressing emotions that words cannot fully capture’, says Amber. ‘The lines and structures beneath the surface reveal the wrapped information, allowing it to resurface and be seen again.’

In collaboration with COS, Amber drew inspiration from her celebrated series to create installations that embody messages of unity and togetherness. ‘I aim to express intimacy through colour, texture, layering, tactile experience and memory. Family, grief, healing and dependence form an inseparable whole’, she says. ‘The jacquard technique allows the warp threads to emerge in different positions, creating a varied woven structure that results in a rich play of light and shade.’ Drawn from the auspicious palette of the collection, Amber’s works evoke the joyous spirit and deep symbolism of the Lunar New Year.

To discover more, we talk to Amber to learn about the complexities of her process and reveal the personal ties behind her textile creations.

‘My works are closely connected to my life, expressing emotions that words cannot fully capture.’

GLOBAL INSPIRATION

‘I always like to say that I design with my own experience because of what I experienced. What I observed in Singapore is very different from what I experienced in London. During my studies in London, I focused on art but was so close to fashion and people in fashion. But culture is many layers of different things, in terms of food and even what you can see on the street. In Shanghai, I use locally available raw materials to experiment with the techniques I learned in Europe. I enjoy comparing the crafts of different regions and exploring interesting collisions between them.’

A STUDY IN TEXTILES

‘The transition from womenswear to textiles is a process that moves from the macro to the micro. When making clothes, the answer seems more singular, whereas fabric can be combined with different products. Textile design can be more interesting because it's from a micro point of view, observing the construction of things. My textile work is divided into art projects and design projects, allowing me to explore two distinct directions between self-expression and functionality.’

PERSONAL STYLE

‘If I look at photos from ten years ago, my style is the same, but different in certain ways. When I was younger, I preferred to wear a lot of colours, but now I incorporate colour with neutrals. In Singapore, it’s summer all the time, but when I moved to study in London in September, I realised the potential of finally having the opportunity to wear layers. Today, my style is about staying true to myself, and I rely more on my intuition.’

STUDIO TECHNIQUES

‘In my early studies, while focusing on weaving, I actively experimented with other textiles techniques, including dyeing, printing, knitting and braiding. As my studio developed, my partner and I revisited various textile techniques, such as weaving, crochet, beading, knitting and ropemaking. I create weave samples with a domestic loom, but if you want to weave a jacquard it’s all computerised. You still have older structures, but you then have to learn a modern programme to ensure those structures are present for different designs. Technology plays its part.’

‘Lunar New Year, the year of the Snake, weaves the idea of so many yarns together. Everyone gathers in the family, it’s united.’

MINDFUL PRACTICES

‘In my workshop, I try not to buy new materials, and any leftover materials from one project are saved for use in other projects or for testing. When I first moved back to Shanghai to start my studio, I visited the material markets where I saw a lot of deadstock. I remember the first batch we got from the market was elastic strings in all these crazy colours that were sitting there for years because they never went into production. We started doing projects using those materials and upcycling them in the studio.’

THE COS COLLABORATION

‘I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with a company that respects your ideas and listens to your creative input. The project was a continuation of my master's degree series called The Unwrapped-Wrapper. It’s about all the experiences, all the things I saw, smelled, the textures blended and translated into a piece of fabric. Together with Lunar New Year, the year of the snake, it felt like weaving the idea of so many yarns together, everyone in the family gathers, it’s like a united idea. At the same time, it’s a very subtle presentation of the snake with all the abstract joins on the artwork.’

IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR

‘This piece uses maroon, gold and soft pink silk threads. One side features maroon mohair, while the other has a surface of white and soft pink synthetic fibres, with gold metallic threads woven within. These colours convey a sense of peace and warmth. The jacquard technique allows the warp threads to emerge in different positions, creating a varied woven structure that results in a rich play of light and shade. I aim to express intimacy through colour, texture, layering, tactile experience, and memory. Family, grief, healing, and dependence form an inseparable whole.’

‘These pieces aim to express intimacy through colour, texture, layering, tactile experience and memory.’

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

What are you thankful for?
My parents.

Who is on your studio playlist?
Blood Orange, Chet Baker and Yaeji.

Your work in three words?
Colour, texture, emotion.

A source of inspiration?
Food; the different colours and textures prepared on a plate.

Dream exhibition space?
The Serpentine Gallery or Tate Modern.

Amber’s work is on display in the following COS locations:

Sanlitun, Beijing
MixC World, Shenzhen
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Words by Christopher Prince
Photographs by Changchun Liu
Video Direction by Yifan Chen