Shan Siqi (second from left) from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, and her team, champion of the Young Maker Competition. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shades of success

Shan Siqi, sporting a tie-dyed hair band, wide black pants and a midriff T-shirt, walked up the podium at the 2017 China-US Young Maker Competition in Beijing on Aug 11.

She was there to receive the championship trophy, clinched by her team, Red Planet, with their "Semi-automatic Plangi Machine".

"Who says women in the fashion field can't be 'makers'?" says Shan, 23, a fresh graduate from the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. "I'm happy but also surprised that I won. I've seen many talented competitors and excellent projects in the final."

Her team's machine boasts intelligent color modulation, dyeing at a constant temperature and recycled liquids. It aims to innovatively revive the traditional craftsmanship of tie-dyeing, a technique which has been included on the national intangible cultural heritage list.

"As a textile design major, I fell in love with tie-dyeing the first minute I learned the skill. But it often took me four hours, standing in front of the pot, to mix the colors," Shan recalls. "That's why I want to design this machine. I believe innovation is the best way to pass down our heritage."

Shan's idea of using science and technology to keep traditional culture alive went on to impress the judges.

Other prize-winning projects included a "smart" artificial limb, colorful clay 3-D printer and "one-button, intelligent floor drain". The prosthesis, with its multifunctional rehabilitative capacity for lower limbs, won the popularity award.

"The interdisciplinary projects were another highlight of this competition, and the tie-dyeing machine is an example of combining art and technology," says Sun Hongbin, chairman of the judging panel and professor of electric power systems and automation at Tsinghua University.

With her 100,000 yuan ($15,000) prize money, Shan plans to continue upgrading the machine with her team. "With this machine, the threshold for designing tie-dyed fabrics will be much lower. Everyone can be a designer then," she says.