Zhou Lei: Revitalizing Suzhou Embroidery for a New Generation

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Zhou Lei, a young embroidery artist and designer, is the founder of the Kuangji brand and a young cultural talent in the Suzhou High-tech Zone. She was also recognized as a 2023 Suzhou "Copyright Star" and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Suzhou Suzhou Embroidery Industry Chain Women's Federation. She is dedicated to promoting the modernization of Suzhou embroidery, an intangible cultural heritage. With the philosophy of "bringing intangible cultural heritage back to everyday life," she develops Suzhou embroidery products for young people that combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
Her works, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Ice Flower," were selected for the "Splendid China - Embroidery Public Education Exhibition" at the China National Museum of Arts and Crafts, and have repeatedly won gold medals in the Jiangsu Province "Art Expo Cup" and Suzhou City "Suyi Cup." She advocates for the "Healing Suzhou Embroidery Lifestyle Aesthetics," promoting the warmth of life through handmade embroidery and reinterpreting the contemporary value of traditional craftsmanship.
As a new generation of Suzhou embroidery inheritors, Zhou Lei, while preserving the exquisite craftsmanship of Suzhou embroidery, actively explores design languages that suit modern lifestyles, promoting the integration of intangible cultural heritage into contemporary life. Furthermore, through brand operations and product innovation, she is expanding the market for traditional Suzhou embroidery and showcasing the innovative energy of young artisans.
周蕾，青年刺绣艺术家、刺绣设计师，匡吉品牌主理人，苏州高新区青年文化人才，2023苏州市“版权之星”，现任苏州市苏绣产业链妇联副主席。她致力于推动苏绣非遗技艺的现代化转型，以“让非遗回归生活”为理念，面向年轻群体研发兼具传统工艺与当代审美的苏绣产品。
其作品《仲夏夜之梦》《冰花》入选中国工艺美术馆“锦绣中国——刺绣公共教育展”，并多次荣获江苏省“艺博杯”、苏州市“苏艺杯”金奖。她提出“治愈系苏绣生活美学”，倡导通过手工刺绣传递生活温度，重新诠释传统工艺的当代价值。
作为新生代苏绣传承人，周蕾在保留苏绣精湛工艺的基础上，积极探索符合现代生活方式的设计语言，推动非遗技艺融入当代生活。同时，她通过品牌运营和产品创新，为传统苏绣开拓更广阔的市场空间，展现青年手艺人的创新活力。