March 28, 2025

Artist Interview: Shiying Dong

Artist Interview: Shiying Dong We are thrilled to introduce you to textile artist Shiying Dong!

I first met Shiying at this year’s Vogue Knitting Live (VKL) in NYC. As a visiting artist, she was setting up her booth while we were busy assembling ours. I remember standing amidst a sea of unopened boxes, feeling that familiar wave of How is this all going to come together? when I heard the sweetest voice behind me say hello.

I turned around and met Shiying. From the very first moment, her presence felt warm and calming—she exudes kindness.

She introduced herself with a gentle smile: “I am a textile artist.” As we chatted, she shared a bit about her topological crochet work, mentioning that she incorporates Quince Lark into her pieces. I was immediately drawn in by her passion and artistry. Before I knew it, I had wandered over to her booth, completely captivated by her stunning creations—all brought to life in Lark.

I’m excited to share a short interview I had with Shiying, and I invite you to take a moment to discover more of her work.

xo Peg

P.S. If you’re an artist who incorporates Quince yarn in your art, please say ‘hi’ and drop me a line at peg@quincandco.com. We would love to feature your work.

Artist Interview: Shiying Dong

What draws you to Quince yarn for your artistic practice? Are there specific qualities that make it a good fit for your work? Do you have a favorite Quince yarn or colorway for your work?

Quince yarn caught my eye with its unique colors. Some of my work involves many boundary components that I need to highlight with different colors, and it was a challenge for me to find a yarn with enough colors that play together well in many combinations. My favorite is lark. It's the perfect weight for my shoulder and finger, and the stitches show up great in pictures. I adore lark in shell and clay. I stock up on aleutian as well.

Many fiber artists have a deep connection to the materials they use. Can you share a moment when Quince yarn played a pivotal role in a piece or project?

As someone with chronic joint problems who would love to prolong my life of creativity, the tension of the yarn on my fingers is more important to me than many others, especially when my pieces involve some of the hardest single crochet stitches that need to be finished at challenging angles. Lark is smooth but not too slippery—just the perfect friction. My first Bridges exhibition piece, Dance, mostly made from lark, resulted from searching for the correct yarn.

Textile art has often been seen as a ‘craft’ rather than ‘fine art.’ How do you navigate this distinction in your work, and do you see perceptions shifting in the contemporary art world?

Perhaps the main reason why textile art is often considered a craft is the long history of the functional role of most textiles. In the modern ages, textiles have become a significant medium of human expressiveness while continuing to clothe us. As in my work, it's a result of my long-time inquiry into the nature of surfaces and space. I studied physics and mathematics, eventually finding my voice in the yarn sculptures I make. In this regard, I consider my work art. I do see more and more pieces entering the public's eyes as fine art.

More about Shiying:

Shiying Dong is a pioneering fiber artist who merges mathematics and art through abstract sculpture. With a theoretical physics and mathematics background, Shiying developed Topological Crochet, a groundbreaking style that translates algebraic topology concepts into yarn sculpting.

Shiying teaches workshops at the National Museum of Mathematics and has led sessions at the Bridges conferences. Her work has been showcased at Bridges and the Joint Mathematical Meetings. Her work, Saddle Monster, won the Best Textile, Sculpture or Other Medium award in the JMM 2025 Mathematical Art Exhibit. Shiying shares her techniques on YouTube and is co-authoring Unravelling Topological Crochet with fellow math artist Eve Torrence.

Expanding her creative horizons, Shiying explores laser cutting, earning the prestigious 2023 Einstein Mad Hat Award Grand Prize.

Artist Interview: Shiying Dong

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