Suzhou Embroidery. Embroidery: Yu Fu-Zhen
63 × 68 cm, 1995
This embroidery portrays a winged child in playful harmony with a leaping dolphin—an image that likely draws inspiration from the classical Western motif of Cupid and the dolphin. Common in Roman antiquity and Renaissance art, this pairing symbolizes innocence and protection. Yu Fu-Zhen masterfully employs threads of diverse ink to simulate the tonal gradations of pencil on paper. The embroiderer evokes the subtle texture and depth of graphite, revealing the expressive possibilities of thread as a medium and its capacity to transcend material boundaries.