Woven Silences: Reimagining shèng nǚ (‘Leftover Women’) through poetic interfaces between image, text, and silk printing.

Abstract

In traditional Chinese culture, there is a strong expectation for women to marry at a relatively young age. Women who remain unmarried beyond this age are labelled as 剩女 (shèng nǚ – ‘Leftover Women’). These women often experience social pressure and judgment from family, friends, communities and governing bodies. This pressure stems partly from cultural beliefs that prioritise traditional gender roles and the perceived responsibility to marry to ensure family lineage and social status. This article presents a PhD design project that investigates how illustration on silk and poetic writing can be employed to reconsider the derogatory concept of 剩女 (shèng nǚ – ‘Leftover women’). Building the author’s Master of Design thesis Dreams of a solo traveller 独行之梦 (Li, 2024), using visual design and storytelling, the research aims to present 剩女 (shèng nǚ) as a symbol of strength, courage, and autonomy. In the study, women are reimagined as individuals who prioritise personal growth, education, and careers, navigating societal pressures with independence. Employing a practice-led research methodology, the project utilises a range of artistic methods, including image-making on silk, poetic writing, journalling, and fieldwork conducted in China and New Zealand. Drawing on personal experiences of social pressure, the research seeks to redefine the label of the剩 剩女 (shèng nǚ), reframing the phenomenon as a source of women empowerment. The project contributes to an ongoing critique of individual autonomy and gender roles, focusing on the changing cultural expectations of women in modern China because it expands the discourse on gender, independence, and cultural identity in a society undergoing transformation.