Zeng Li
Books
She has published several important works, including Miao Embroidery, Miao Costume Atlas, Early Patterns of Miao Embroidery, and The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery. Through a clear and structured approach, she helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind this ancient art. Her books have been widely collected and referenced by universities, museums, and design institutions around the world.
她用系统的方法整理图案与意义，让更多人读懂这门古老艺术背后的文化智慧。这些书籍已被国内外高校、博物馆和设计机构广泛收藏与使用。
Miao Embroidery: From Fieldwork to Visual Philosophy
Published in 2008, Miao Embroidery is considered a foundational work in the study of Miao textile traditions. Based on over thirty years of fieldwork and collecting, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of Miao embroidery's techniques, glyphic structures, cultural aesthetics, and collection history.
Lavishly illustrated with rare archival pieces, the book unveils how Miao women use thread to express cosmology, memory, and emotion. More than a visual anthology, it opens a doorway to understanding a symbolic system beyond words—offering deep inspiration to artists, designers, cultural scholars, and all those seeking new ways to see.
《苗绣》：从田野到文字的视觉文明之书
2008年，曾丽完成其代表性著作《苗绣》，被视为苗绣研究领域的奠基之作。她以三十余年深入田野的亲历与系统收藏为基础，从技法特征、符形解读到文化审美、收藏故事，系统梳理苗绣的文明逻辑。
书中不仅图文并茂地呈现珍稀藏品，也展现了苗族女性用针线书写世界的精神力量。它既是一部族群美学志，也是一种视觉哲学的入门读本，启发艺术家、设计师、文化研究者与所有对非语言系统感兴趣的人。
"Ethnic Miao Embroidery" ——The Zeng's Collection and appreciation Miao Embroidery
《苗绣》—— 一本关于苗绣收藏与鉴赏的书
Early Patterns of Miao Embroidery: A Key to Symbolic Intelligence
Published in 2020, Early Patterns of Miao Embroidery is a pivotal work following Zeng Li’s earlier monograph. This book systematically organizes the core visual patterns of Miao embroidery, forming a symbolic system that can be studied, revived, and reimagined.
Each glyph featured in the book is more than decoration—it encodes the Miao people’s understanding of the universe, life, and spiritual order. In a time when traditional forms risk being diluted or forgotten, this work serves both as a cultural map and a creative guide.
For anyone engaged in heritage preservation, design innovation, or cultural research, this book offers a powerful resource that bridges the past and the present, tradition and transformation.
《苗绣图源》：打开符号智慧的钥匙
2020年出版的《苗绣图源》，是曾丽继《苗绣》之后的重要著作。她将多年采集到的经典纹样进行系统整理，建立了一套可被识别、研究和再创作的苗绣图形语言体系。
书中所收录的“符形”，不仅是绣娘们心灵的延续，更是苗族关于宇宙、生命、秩序的深层表达。面对传统纹样在现代语境中的异化与流失，这本书既是一次文明的溯源，也是一种未来的打开方式。
无论是从事非遗保护、文化研究、还是设计创新的人，都能从中找到连接传统与当代的灵感源泉。
"Early Patterns of Miao Embroidery" —— wordless manuscript from heaven
《苗绣图源》
Miao Costume Atlas: Images Through Time
Miao Costume Atlas is a photographic work that spans two generations. Thirty years ago, Zeng Li’s father, Zeng Xianyang, documented the dress culture of nearly a hundred Miao subgroups. Decades later, Zeng Li retraced his steps, revisiting those same villages to document how Miao traditional clothing looks today.
By juxtaposing old and new photographs, the book reveals not only the evolution of costume, but also the quiet transformations of people, places, and traditions. More than a visual archive, it is a cultural mirror—reflecting memory, identity, and the passage of time.
《苗装》：穿越时间的影像与记忆
《苗装》是一部延续父女两代人脚步的影像著作。三十年前，曾丽的父亲曾宪阳走遍苗疆大地，拍摄并记录近百个苗族支系的服饰文化，出版了老版《苗装》画册。三十年后，曾丽再次走入那些村寨，拍摄当下苗装的真实样貌，也记录下岁月流转中的文化变迁。
新旧照片的对比，不仅呈现出民族服饰的演变，更透出一个民族与时代共同生长的轨迹。这本书，是一场对族群、对时间、对自我文化身份的双重凝视，也是留给未来的影像证词。
"Miao Costume" —— The journey back: a pilgrimage with all sorts of feelings welling up in my heart
《苗装》——重走，一段百感交集的朝圣之旅
The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery: Revealing the Meanings Behind the Motifs
A large-eyed creature with horns, surrounded by spirals and butterflies, peers out from a vintage Miao jacket. What does it mean? What story does it tell?
Published in the United States, The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery is Zeng Li's first book released internationally. In this work, she deciphers the hidden meanings behind more than 40 ancient motifs used in traditional Miao textiles—especially from southeast Guizhou Province. Drawing from her museum’s collection, she provides clear illustrations, contextual explanations, and cultural stories behind each design.
These symbols are not simply decorative—they speak of ancestry, cosmology, and spiritual knowledge. For artists, scholars, and readers interested in indigenous design systems, this book is a window into the visual intelligence of the Miao people.
《The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery》：图案背后的世界
这是曾丽在美国出版的第一本英文专著。在《The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery》中，曾丽首次揭示了苗绣图案背后的符号密码与文化寓意。书中选取了贵州东南部苗族传统服饰中最具代表性的40余种古老纹样，通过图例、解析与真实故事，为这些代代相传的图形赋予清晰可感的文化注解。这些“长着角的大眼生灵”“被旋涡与蝴蝶环绕的神秘身影”，不再只是装饰，而是讲述族群起源、自然哲学、生命观念的视觉语言。对设计师、文化研究者、非遗爱好者来说，这本书提供了理解苗族世界观的全新入口。
"The Secret Language of Miao Embroidery"
The Secret Garden of Miao Embroidery: A Coloring Journey Through Blessings and Symbols
Following Early Patterns of Miao Embroidery, The Secret Garden of Miao Embroidery is Zeng Li’s first coloring book, published in Singapore. It invites readers to engage directly with the symbolic world of Miao embroidery through color and contemplation.
The book features 12 traditional patterns—each representing a visual energy field of blessing and life. By coloring them, readers explore not only shapes and lines, but also the deeper emotions and cultural wisdom embedded in each form.
This is not just a creative activity—it’s a meditative passage into the spiritual language of Miao textiles, ideal for artists, cultural enthusiasts, and anyone seeking an intimate connection with ancestral symbolism.
"The Secret Garden of Miao Embroidery"
《苗绣的秘密花园》
Talks
Let ideas be heard, and culture be understood.
Zeng Li has spoken at major academic forums, international art exhibitions, Shanghai Fashion Week, and leading universities, sharing the visual language and cultural insight behind Miao embroidery.
Her delivery is gentle yet persuasive—grounded in research, guided by clear thought. Her voice carries both academic depth and contemporary resonance.
让思想被听见，让文化被理解
曾丽多次在重要学术交流、艺术展、上海时装周及各大高校发表演讲，讲述苗绣背后的视觉语言与文化智慧。
她的表达娓娓道来，有实证，也有清晰的观点，既有学术深度，也能打动当代观众。
I have been collecting and studying Miao embroidery for over forty years, and I want to share the knowledge I have about Miao embroidery.
历经四十年的苗绣收藏与研究，我愿意把我拥有的苗绣知识分享给大家。
—— Zeng Li
曾丽