Wen-Jen Deng: The Embedded Stitch
Taiwanese artist Wen-Jen Deng uses dyed embroidery and stitched soft sculpture to forge a language of cultural geography and history. Rooted in Taiwan’s cultural landscape and informed by field research and residencies across the world, her work draws on indigenous motifs, food culture, and deep historical truth to create textile narratives of place and belonging. Through hand-dyed fabrics and thread, Deng maps a visual world shaped by ecological observation and cultural circulation. Her “quiet feminism” emerges through material intimacy — reclaiming fiber art as a vital medium for self-expression and placing it firmly within the mainstream of contemporary art history.
From June 6 to 28, Deng’s work will be on view at Manhattan’s Tenri Cultural Institute in the exhibition The Embedded Stitch – Contemporary Fiber Art from Taiwan. The title of the show draws inspiration from The Subversive Stitch (1984) by British art historian Rozsika Parker, whose influential study explored the historical relationship between women and embroidery, often perceived as domestic, feminine, and passive. In contrast, Deng utilizes embroidery and textiles in her practice to create a vivid, dynamic expression of contemporary Taiwanese identity. For over 20 years, she has developed a distinct body of work that visualizes the diversity and hybridity of Taiwan’s cultural landscape. While her art does not directly engage with traditional feminist discourse, it reflects her deep engagement with indigenous Taiwanese cultures and the country’s layered colonial history. Her works explore questions of identity, belonging, and cultural memory through the lens of material and craft.
In 2024, Deng held a residency on Governors Island in New York, where she began with a topographic concept and layered it with indigo dye, soft objects, and stitches that depict the island’s history and culture. In her words, “I spent a brief month in New York last year and felt that it’s such a vibrant city — everyone seemed to wear a smile on their face. Perhaps it’s because immigrants from all over the world make up the majority of New York’s residents? The Big Apple is both nourishing and delicious!”
The Embedded Stitch, curated by Ming Tuner and Luchia Meihua Lee, presents a selection of Deng’s fiber-based artworks, offering viewers a poetic, layered narrative that bridges tradition and innovation, local knowledge and global dialogue. The show is on view from June 6 to 28 at the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York City.
Programming
- Panel Discussion: Friday, June 6, 3–5pm
- Featuring art critic Allison C. Meier, curator Irene Georgia Tsatsos, and scholar Thomas Van Dyke in dialogue with The Embedded Stitch artist and curators
- Opening Reception: Friday, June 6, 6–8pm
- Artist & Curator Talk and Exhibition Tour: Thursday, June 12, 2–4pm
To learn more, visit taac-us.org or dengwenjen.wixstudio.com.
This exhibition is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan; and T-Content Plan, and is co-organized by the Taiwanese American Arts Council.
