Secret Language

Nüshu - literally "women's writing" - was a secret script used by women from Jiangyong county in China's Hunan province in the 19th and 20th centuries. Men could neither read nor write it, and its existence was virtually unknown to the general public until the 1980s. These women 'wrote' with their embroidery, and legend has it that an imperial concubine in the late 11th century used Nüshu to communicate the challenges in her life to her family back home.

You can get a glimpse of this unique language in Singapore, thanks to renowned London-Singapore designer and contemporary textile artist Benny Ong, who has collaborated with embroiderers, weavers and artisans around Asia for this exhibition inspired by Nüshu.

Nüshu - An Inspiration is open for public viewing at Goh Loo Club, 72 Club Street, on July 20, 23, 25 and 27.