Stitch Your Brain

Two months of open workshops on neurology and brain health formed the basis of “Stitch Your Brain”. Participants were invited to embroider a self-portrait of their brain as an honest reflection of their mental state. This creative method was chosen to test the effects of hands-on craftsmanship on mental well-being – as a counterbalance to our fast-paced, digital world.

The resulting 140 embroidered selfportraits formed a collective landscape created by both neurodivergent participants and those without a formal diagnosis. Everyone used identical embroidery templates and kits – making the brains uniform in structure but uniquely shaped by individual life experiences. The embroidered brains were featured in the “Brainstorms” exhibition.

Partners:

Working group including artist Mu Chenyang, psychotherapist Zhao Huan, art healing tutor Han Jiayi, three members from the Central Academy of Dance, and Duguo Yiyu Huanzhe Shequ, Beijing