Yiwen Shen

What shapes our appreciation of nature? Yiwen Shen’s textile collection With Nature,centres on her experiences with nature in China and Finland. It draws from Chinese myths and Finnish nature to contrast past and present perspectives on appreciating nature. The MA thesis collection explores how living between Chinese and Finnish cultures has shaped Shen’s perception of nature, and how narrative design brings these experiences together. The collection is organised into three central themes inspired by Chinese myths and Yiwen Shen’s visual diary: Light, Water, and Growth. These themes have consistently captured people’s attention across time and cultures. Comprising nine stories, the collection reflects various views of nature across eras, seasons, and times of day, celebrating its fleeting beauty. Throughout the creative process, Shen experimented with textile techniques, materials, and hand-drawn patterns to convey her interpretation of each story, enriched with personal observations and emotions.