London · CSM · 2026—27 placement

ShirleyLiu

Pixel cat representing Shirley
About

I make expressive surfaces from fragments of memory: hand-drawn figures, found ornament, worn textures and the odd little object that refuses to disappear.

PracticeTextile & print design
StudyBA (Hons) Textile Design
Central Saint Martins
Looking for2026—27 placement
TEXTILE ARTMATERIAL EXPERIMENTPRINT DESIGNTEXTILE ARTMATERIAL EXPERIMENTPRINT DESIGN

Selected work

Surfaces with a memory.

A selection of print-led projects translating research and drawing into textiles, garments and interiors by Shirley Liu, a Textile Design student at Central Saint Martins.

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1Project category

Print

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Hand-drawn architectural landscape in black and white

01 TEXTILE NARRATIVE

Between architecture & Space

Inspired by a collection of found objects in my grandparents' home—including family photographs, a photograph of my mother in her early 20s, a cross-stitch wall hanging, a vintage clock, and memories of my late cat—this project explores personal memory through print. Visual motifs were extracted from these domestic artefacts and reinterpreted into a series of repeat patterns. Drawing inspiration from Chinoiserie and Rococo aesthetics, the prints were visualised across garments and interior furnishings, including folding screens and upholstered furniture, exploring their application in both fashion and domestic spaces.

Hand drawing · screen print · garment · interiorView project

02 INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

Ottoman fantasy

A print direction developed through trend research, visual editing and garment thinking for the JNBY CROQUIS × Central Saint Martins project.

On-site visit · research · print development · garmentView project

03 RESEARCH-LED PRINT

Beauty in decay

A study of weathered architecture, museum fragments and the beauty that appears when ornament is softened by time.

On-site visit · research · print development · TextileView project

04 REPEAT PATTERN

Floral repeat

Botanical forms move between drawing, architecture and repeat, building a surface that feels both decorative and slightly unruly.

Hand drawing · research · print development · WallpaperView project
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2Project category

Knit

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Close-up of pink, black and teal knitted fibres with sequins

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Glasgow, day and night

Inspired by the changing atmosphere of Glasgow, this hand-knit project captures the contrast between the city's quiet winter mornings and vibrant nightlife. Soft grey-blue skies observed on early winter mornings are juxtaposed with the pink and red glow of neon lights found along bar-lined streets after dark. These shifting colour palettes were translated into knitted textiles, which were visualised as sculptural headpieces, exploring knit as a medium for wearable expression.

hand knitting · embellishmentView project
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3Project category

Weave

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Hand-drawn botanical and textile motifs in black and white

06

Muted Horizons

Rooted in the shared climate of Glasgow and my hometown, Chengdu, this weaving project explores the rain-soaked atmosphere, muted skies and quiet melancholy common to both cities. Mohair and natural cotton yarns were selected for their contrasting tactile qualities and combined with a restrained colour palette to translate this distinctive mood into woven textiles. The final woven samples were visualised on garments to explore their potential application within fashion.

weaving · fabric manipulation · fashionView project
Portrait of Shirley Liu

02Curriculum vitae

Shirley Liu

Textile designer
Print designer

Second-year BA (Hons) Textile Design student at Central Saint Martins, specialising in print, material experimentation and visual storytelling. Seeking a 2026—27 placement in a print, textile, fashion or fabric-design studio.

Based inLondon, UK
Chengdu, China
StudyingBA (Hons) Textile Design
Central Saint Martins (currently studying)