• Digua shapes his aesthetics in the ancient craft of Peking glass
• He blends traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetic language
• Inspired by plants, he creates art from gesture rather than imitation

Formerly a fashion designer, Digua Zhao combines lampworking and textile work to create arresting installations and garments. Known as a flower whisperer, he centres his practice around Peking glass liaoqi, a historical Chinese craft originally developed to brighten flowerless winter palaces. Rather than simply imitating nature, Digua captures the living spirit of flora by observing plant postures, natural growth cycles and botanical intelligence. By wrapping wet cotton fibres dyed with natural plants around coloured glass rods, he bridges ancestral heritage with dynamic avant-garde forms. "My work transforms static glass and textiles into thought-provoking art that carries a romantic narrative forward," Digua says.