10 Questions with Jiashun Zhou

Jiashun Zhou is a fibre artist whose work intricately explores the intersection of memory, space, and emotion through weaving. His artistic practice transforms personal experiences and fleeting moments into tangible, three-dimensional forms.

Jiashun Zhou’s work is deeply influenced by his desire to decelerate the rapid pace of modern life and draw attention to the often-overlooked details of our surroundings. By weaving elements such as the door from his undergraduate studio, he aims to slow down the act of capturing and bring forth the essence of spaces that are crucial yet frequently ignored.

Jiashun Zhou views weaving as a personal diary, shaping his emotions and memories into concrete images. Each piece he creates is a dialogue between his inner world and the external environment, transforming subjective experiences into vibrant, physical forms. His use of colour and texture serves as an emotional language, revealing aspects of his personality and perspective. In his creative process, Jiashun Zhou draws inspiration from his travels, the places he has lived, and the myriad of experiences that colour his life. Through his art, he captures the meaningful encounters of daily existence, weaving them into a tapestry that reflects both the visible and invisible aspects of our shared experiences.

jiashunzhou.com | @shunshun.art

INTERVIEW

Let's begin with your background. Can you share a bit about your artistic training and what first led you to fibre art and weaving as your primary medium?

I was first drawn to fibre art because of how soft the materials are. Cotton and wool have this natural sense of comfort and healing. That softness made me feel like I was having a quiet, personal conversation with the materials. I started to see how flexible they were, how many possibilities they offered, and that really pulled me in. But honestly, I fell in love with weaving even before I had the chance to study it. My classroom back then was right next to the weaving studio. Every day, I'd walk past these big, beautiful looms, all lined up, and I'd see threads slowly being turned into patterns and textures by hand. I had never seen anything like it. Watching how each thread crossed over another, it felt like a whole new way of creating and expressing something. I found myself stopping by almost every day just to look. It wasn't until the spring semester of my junior year, after I finished my foundation courses, that I finally got to take a weaving class. From the moment I started, it just made sense to me. What began as curiosity quickly turned into something much deeper. It felt really natural, like weaving had always been part of me somehow. And that feeling has stayed with me ever since.

Hallway, Floor loom weaving, 160x110x80 in, 2025 © Jiashun Zhou

Weaving has such a deep and historical lineage. What draws you to textiles specifically, and what does this medium offer that others might not?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what draws me to weaving. I love the moment when the loom takes control of the warp, and I'm often amazed by how the weft builds up layer by layer into patterns I didn't expect. I enjoy the rhythm of throwing the shuttle, and I find meaning in knowing that every inch of the fabric is made by my own hands. I run my fingers over every detail, feeling its presence. The whole process, from preparing the warp, dyeing, setting up the loom, to finishing and displaying the work, is very long. Each time I create, it feels like a journey away from the real world. Weaving has createda quiet space for me where I am constantly in conversation with the loom. I see the finished piece as a letter written between us. It has changed how I understand time and shaped the way I see the world. For me, weaving is more than a technique. It feels like a part of my life. Because weaving is deeply connected to time and touch, it is one of the oldest forms of making by humans. Being part of this long, passed-down tradition feels very powerful. Every thread carries a trace of history. Weaving also slows me down. In this fast-paced world, it allows me to focus, reflect, and truly live in the moment. This quiet and repetitive process gives me space to think deeply and build an emotional connection with my work. The intimacy between my hands, the materials, and memory makes me feel like I'm bringing an invisible, ever-intertwining tapestry into the world.

Your work often transforms personal memories into woven forms. How do you choose which memories, moments, or spaces to translate into your work?

I draw my ideas from the feelings I have from my memories. For me, inspiration comes from the things around me - the cities I've travelled to, the apartments I've lived in, the trees, the people, the houses, and even the sunrises or sunsets casting themselves on the streets I've passed, which I'm constantly drawing or taking photos of. But not all drawings go further. Over time, these drawings become an archive of memories. I choose the most captivating ones and bring them to life by weaving them into textiles.

You've described weaving as a kind of personal diary. Can you walk us through your process, from the initial spark of memory or emotion to the finished piece?

I use colours to express my emotions. I choose a specific colour palette that represents my personality. I see art as a kind of journal where people record their lives. Similarly, I use weaving and printing to document meaningful things I encounter every day. I often draw on my iPad, but don't rush into making the next step. Usually, after some time passes, I revisit my archive and select the pieces that connect most strongly with me. During dyeing or weaving, what I enjoy most is discovering processes that deviate from the norm. I break down each step and intentionally try approaches that are not quite correct. Not every attempt succeeds, but they always bring surprises. In daily life, I have many moments I want to record and cherish. These moments don't only come from life itself but also from pictures on the internet or TV shows I watch before bed. Sometimes there are too many memories to remember clearly. I cannot always explain which one is special, but I know the feeling of happiness is the same. What I love about life is clear. My hopes for the future are clear. My plans for growth are clear. I want to keep running in the direction of my passion, following what I am certain of inside.

Physical spaces, such as your undergraduate studio door, appear in your work. How do specific environments shape your art, and what role does architectural memory play in your creative process?

This piece reflects the passage of time, memory, and my appreciation for the spaces that have shaped me. These doors and windows are from my university studio, the place where I spent the past five years creating, learning, and critiquing. They are not just part of the building but have become part of my work itself. As I prepare to leave, I find it easy to say goodbye to people, but how do we say goodbye to a space? I don't want to simply take a photo and move on, never to return. I want to record this place in my own way. For this piece, I used jelly yarn and cotton as my warp and weft, dyeing the warp threads and using the translucent jelly yarn to mimic glass and the light filtering through door cracks. This is my first attempt to capture a meaningful environment on fabric, a way to carry a familiar sense of presence into unfamiliar spaces as my life continues to change. In our fast-paced digital era, we often capture moments quickly, filtering and editing them without truly understanding the spaces we occupy. We tend to overlook the details that quietly shape our experiences. Weaving gives me a chance to slow down, to measure, and to truly inhabit my surroundings, thread by thread. I hope this work can remind others to appreciate the spaces that support and protect us, to notice the small details that hold memories and connections, and to not lose touch with the places that ground us, even as we move forward.

Bottles, Screen print, 25x40 in, 2024 © Jiashun Zhou

Texture and colour carry strong emotional resonance in your pieces. How do you think about the emotional language of materials when planning a work?

The choice of texture and colour is quite spontaneous. Like the piece "Hallway", this piece currently consists of seven panels and is planned to expand to around twenty. The creative process is long, so I continuously add new elements to keep the work fresh. As a result, each panel has very different textures and patterns, creating unique effects. Recently, I have been experimenting with new materials such as jelly yarn. Weaving with transparent threads blurs the background, allowing the visual focus to concentrate more on the house depicted in the image.

Your pieces encourage viewers to slow down and observe overlooked details. What kinds of responses have you received from audiences? Do they connect with your work as you intend?

I wanted to capture the light, shadows, and textures of this familiar place. Weaving, with its slow, intentional process, became my way of measuring this space, inch by inch, line by line. It allowed me to connect more deeply with my surroundings and, in doing so, transformed my perspective on space into a core theme in my work. In our digital age, we often rush to capture moments with quick photos, filtering and cropping our lives into bite-sized images. But weaving slows down this act of observation, forcing me to pay attention to the overlooked and forgotten. It has become my way of honouring the small, often unnoticed details that make up our lives. When I realised that my thoughts and artistic expressions could capture these intangible, often overlooked emotions and even influence those around me, I knew that fibre art would remain my chosen path.

Unclassified, Floor loom weaving, 36x50 in, 2024 © Jiashun Zhou

History puzzle, Sculpture, 36x82x58 in, 2024 © Jiashun Zhou

Would you describe your work as autobiographical? Or do you hope to speak to broader, more universal themes of memory and place?

I would say I lean more toward exploring broader and more universal themes of memory and place rather than strictly autobiographical work. While my personal experiences inform my art, I aim to connect those with shared human emotions and collective memories that resonate beyond my individual story. My goal is to create work that invites viewers to reflect on their own memories and relationships to space.

Travel and relocation seem central to your practice. How have different environments and cultures influenced the way you approach fibre and weaving?

Because travel and moving have been a constant part of my life for the past twenty years, they form an essential part of my growth and my deepest connection with myself. Constant relocation makes me feel both familiar with and distant from each temporary space I inhabit. The impact on my weaving methods and fibre art is often subtle and unconscious. More precisely, it is when I encounter new and interesting cultural backgrounds or ways of life that these experiences inspire changes in my creative process. Weaving becomes my outlet for expressing ideas and serves as the brushstroke with which I record my life. Through weaving, I try to capture traces of memory and the emotions of space, building an inner world that is both intimate and universally meaningful.

When They Come Back to My Life, Sculpture, 70x70 in, 2024 © Jiashun Zhou

Finally, are there any new materials, themes, or directions you're currently exploring, or looking forward to developing?

Recently, I have begun exploring basket weaving. For me, it is not merely a craft but more of a return to my roots. The structure of a basket is straightforward and honest. It lacks the complexity of a loom yet conveys a strong sense of physicality and rhythm through the act of weaving itself. I am particularly interested in the relationship between the basket and the object it contains. It serves as both a container and an extension of the body, a structure that "holds" and "carries." I'm experimenting with different materials for basket weaving, such as yarn, plastic tubes, and even 3D-printed elements. I'm also researching the symbolic meanings of baskets in different cultures and their roles in daily life. I hope to use basket weaving to reflect on the relationships between people and space, and between people and objects, and to make it a way to narrate memory and identity. This direction feels very freeing and powerful to me.

Artist’s Talk

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