Still Night Thoughts (i mistook it for frost), 2026
handkerchief fabric, silk thread, black rice dye
16 ¾ x 6 ½ “
based on the poem 靜夜思 (Quiet Night Thoughts) by the exiled chinese poet 李白 (Li Bai, 701-762).
my translation of the poem would read:
bright moonlight before my bed
at first i mistook it for winter frost
i raise my head to gaze at the bright moon
i lower my head and long for home
the excerpted text reads “frost on the ground”, which the poet misrecognizes for moonlight, which he misrecognizes for the feeling of being home. the embroidered words hold together two handkerchief scraps. no knots were used. the embroidery & fabric were set and steam-dyed using a bowl and black rice.
z. serena qiu is a textile & fiber artist 