Woven through culture

Miao people, living mostly in southwestern China, are known for their unique dresses and dazzling silver ornaments.

Seeing Huang's large collection of the unique costumes of the Miao people, which were well-preserved and managed by a professional team, the museum invited Huang to hold an exhibition in the United States.

Being invited to hold an exhibition at a prestigious museum in the US is a dream-come-true for most artists and collectors, but Huang initially declined the invitation.

"I just wanted to collect the authentic costumes and record the fragile culture before it vanished," he says.

Over decades of traveling and living in the villages of the Miao people, Huang witnessed their living standards improve, especially the impact of the new motorways connecting the villages to the outside cities, offering more opportunities to young people and bringing in swarms of tourists to the villages.

Hoping the world can learn more about the Miao people, Huang agreed to hold an exhibition in the US.

From September 2008 to 2009, the costumes of the Miao people were exhibited at the University of Hawaii Museum, then New Mexico and Wisconsin.

The series of exhibitions, Writing with Threads, was a great success. The stunning costumes were seen by more than half a million visitors including a special group that moved Huang.