Profile: Yu-An Jian – Real Leather Design Competitions

Yu-An Jian

Shih Chien University

I am Yu-An Jian, a university sophomore from Taiwan with a mixed Atayal and Truku indigenous background. Growing up, my passion for craftsmanship was ignited by my cultural heritage, particularly the intricate traditional weaving practices of my elders. I value cultural diversity and creativity, and I aim to contribute to the preservation and innovation of indigenous traditions through my future career in design. My creative perspective is profoundly shaped by the recurring memories of my childhood spent in hospital corridors. During those long, cold hours, I frequently watched my mother undergo surgeries, witnessing the delicate process of "broken bodies" being meticulously stitched back to life—one stitch, one thread—at the hands of calm surgeons. The sight of intersecting sutures and the fragile yet tenacious vitality that followed left an indelible mark on my soul. In my design work, I treat premium animal hide as humanity's "second skin," which carries both warmth and the scars of its past. Through raw, hand-stitching techniques that deliberately mimic surgical sutures, I gather these painful memories of my mother’s procedures and transform them into a solid "protective force". For instance, my moss-green leather backpack features dense, irregular stitches resembling post-surgery scars. By pairing soft lace with brass gears and hanging medical scissors at the center, I symbolize the coexistence of "cutting" and "healing". This artistic vessel transforms fragility into resilience and fear into armor, granting these memories a second chance at life.

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Sutured soul

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Taiwan Region

This work originates from recurring childhood memories of hospital corridors, where the designer witnessed "broken bodies" being meticulously stitched back to life. By treating premium animal hide as humanity's "second skin," the design utilizes raw hand-stitching techniques that deliberately mimic surgical sutures to transform painful memories into a solid "protective force". The deep moss-green leather backpack features irregular stitches resembling post-surgery scars and mended fractures, creating a striking contrast between the softness of a large white lace bow and the hardness of brass gear embellishments. With medical scissors and gears hanging at the center to symbolize the eternal coexistence of "cutting" and "healing," the piece serves as an artistic vessel that transforms fragility into resilience and fear into armor. Ultimately, each stitch acts as a tribute to pain and a reminder that scars represent not an end, but the beginning of rebirth and a second chance at life.