- DATE : 05/10/2026 07/10/2026
- TIME : –
- VENUE : C28 Main Building, Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lauriston Place EH3 9DF Edinburgh
2026 Spotlight Taiwan Lecture & Workshop
Time: 5 October 2026 14:00-16:00, Part 1
Venue: C26, ECA Main Building, 74 Lauriston Place
Time: 7 October 2026 9:00-11:00, Part 2
Venue: C28, ECA Main Building, 74 Lauriston Place
Inquiries in Indigo—Taiwanese Indigo Dyeing: History, Art, and Practice
Artist Wei-Lin Yang 楊偉林
Indigo is more than a colour; it is a mode of inquiry and inscription shaped by local histories, plant migrations, embodied labour, and the symbolic and economic values they carry. The lecture traces the history of indigo dyeing in Taiwan and considers its transformation within contemporary artistic practice. The workshop offers a hands-on session, inviting participants to work directly with the material through dyeing and to encounter its distinctive qualities firsthand.
Indigo dyeing in Taiwan nearly disappeared for over sixty years and was only rediscovered and revitalised in the 1990s. This workshop uses indigo paste produced in Taiwan and reconstructs a traditional fermentation vat using natural materials. Participants will experience the full process, learn basic resist-dye techniques, and create their own hand-dyed cotton scarf.
問靛—台灣藍染的歷史、創作與實踐
藍染不只是顏色，也是一種關於地方歷史、植物遷徙、身體勞動，以及象徵與價值的探問與書寫。上半場講座從台灣藍染的歷史出發，延伸至當代創作中的轉化與提問。下半場將透過工作坊，邀請參與者在染色的過程中，感受材料的魅力。
工作坊說明：
藍染文化在台灣曾經消失近六十年，直到90年代才被重新尋找復育。本工作坊使用台灣生產的泥狀藍靛，並以傳統的建藍甕染技術還原染缸。學員將體驗整個過程、學習簡單的紮染技術親手製作一條棉布領巾。
About the Artist
Wei-Lin YANG is a leading Taiwanese fiber artist. 
In 2016, she received the Honourable Mention from the jury at the CONTEXTILE 2016 – Contemporary Textile Art Biennial in Portugal. Her international exhibitions include the Setouchi Triennale, the Portugal Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, the International Contemporary Fiber Art Biennial in the United States, and the Taiwan–Japan Contemporary Fiber Art Exchange Exhibition at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.
Her accolades also include the First Prize of the 4th National Craft Awards (2004), the Small Expressions 2001 Grand Prize for miniature fiber art in the U.S. (2001), and earlier, the Special Prize in the Fiber Arts category at the 6th Weaving Craft Awards (2000), among other significant honours. In 2025, she represented Taiwan at the Osaka World Expo with the exhibition ‘Taiwan Spectrum,’ demonstrating her continued influence and depth in contemporary fiber art. Her work has been consistently recognised both internationally and within Taiwan’s fiber art community.
Education
M.F.A., Graduate Institute of Applied Arts, Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan
B.A., Chinese Literature, Tunghai University, Taiwan
International exhibitions
2025 “Durchblick,” Kulturort Höfli 7, Switzerland
2025 “Taiwan Color Chart/ Lightwoven Nature,” VS., Osaka
2025 “Tidal Weavers: Islands Exchange,” CHAT/MILL6, Hong Kong
2024 “10th International Artist’s Book Triennial,” Vilnius, Lithuania
2023 “Floater: Lifestyle－Craft Context”2003 International Contemporary Craft exhibition,” Tainan/Wu Garden-Japan/Kurashiki Monogatari-kan
2022 “CONTEXTILE 2022-Contemporary Textile Art Biennial,” Guimaraes, Portugal.
2021 “Transfiguration–2021International Biennial Paper-Fibre-Art,” National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute
2021 “From Lausanne to Beijing,” 11th International Fiber Art Biennale Exhibition, China
Awards
2016 Honorable Mentions, CONTEXTILE 2016-Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, Portugal
2004 The First Award, The Fourth National Crafts Awards, Taiwan
2001 The First Award, Small Expressions 2001, U.S.A
2000 Special Award, Fiber Art Creation for the 6th Weaving Craft Award, Taiwan
1999 The First Award, International Paper Art Festival, Taiwan
1998 Winner, 3rd Place, Craft’s Dream, Taiwan
1997 Excellence Award, Fiber Art Creation of the 3rd Weaving Craft Award, Taiwan