From Dali to London: The Language of Craft and the Hidden Cultures of China’s Ethnic Minorities

Thursday 29 January 2026
6:00 pm 7:30 pm 18:00 19:30

Yi Crafts 60 Neasden Lane London, England, NW10 2UW United Kingdom (map)

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A China Night Seminar Series Talk at University College London

“From Dali to London / A talk on craft, culture, and hidden histories
I'm honoured to be invited to speak at China Night Seminar
Series at UCL for the first talk of 2026.

In this lecture, I'll share my journey from Dali to London, exploring craft as a universal, non-verbal language — one that carries identity, memory, and connection through materials, colour, and the act of making.

These crafts are not just traditions — they are living archives of migration, spirituality, ecology, and community knowledge, often missing from mainstream narratives of "Chinese culture."

I'll also reflect on founding Yi Crafts, and why slowing down through making matters more than ever today.”
————from Yiran

Event Details

Date: 29 January 2026
Time: 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
Location: Room 612,
UCL Institute of Archaeology,
31–34 Gordon Square,
London WC1H 0PY

Speaker:
Yiran Duan
Founder of Yi Crafts
Member of the Bai ethnic minority, Dali, Yunnan, China