Threading together culture and modernity

"It is never too old to invent stitches," she says.

That commitment motivated Yao to create a "simplified stitching" method in 2006. The idea emerged during a trip to France when she purchased a drawing and wanted to stitch it.

While working on the piece, she was able to re-create the same sketchy lines and the contrast between light and shadow with slim, delicate stitches, while leaving much emptiness in the work.

Creating more pieces using this method, she discovered that its simplified beauty resonated well with a younger audience.

"Aesthetics evolve. When one embraces the changes, he finds much more freedom in creation," Yao says.

The view is echoed by Fu Jian, 37, whose workshop and Yao's are in the same neighborhood, a hub of embroidery studios and shops near the Taihu Lake.

Fu has been stitching Chinese archaic bronze ware since 2015.

He shares glimpses of his craft through short videos on social media, garnering attention not just for his technical mastery but also for defying stereotypes as a male embroiderer.

"It is a family trade. I was determined to participate in it in middle school. I learned design at university with the hope of introducing transformations to this field," he says.

"We are talking about a profession. Gender is irrelevant to the skill and passion involved."

He first embroiders the shapes and motifs as ordered by customers. Then he lets his imagination fly.

"It is an accumulation of research, experience and improvisation."