Curating a Common Thread

A Common Thread, showing in the Lethaby Gallery, 18 February to 26 April 2026, celebrates a hands-on relationship with materials in an exhibition of process-driven work by the students, staff and graduates of Central Saint Martins. We aim to return to ancestral knowledge, the participatory and the physical by examining ‘A Common Thread’.

A Common Thread was born from a College-wide open call and developed with the support of Central Saint Martins staff.  Jin Liang (BA Fashion Design: Communication, 2026) curated the exhibition and we spoke to her about the experience of curating A Common Thread.

What inspired you to submit a proposal for this exhibition?

Studying BA Fashion Design: Communication – I suppose literally, the course itself brings together craft and one’s ability to share it with the general public. Over the past few years, I found myself returning consistently to ideas of material history, cultural preservation and ancestral techniques, also seeing the people around me gravitating towards the same thing. It was a cultural movement rather than an individual idea, particularly with the current disillusionment with technology and what feels intangible. My aim was for the Lethaby Gallery to become a space that shared ideas of grounded tangibility to those both familiar and unfamiliar with the creative work of CSM.

How did you find other students and graduates to collaborate as an interdisciplinary group?

As a matter of fact, a lot of them are my friends. I remember when I had the few days’ notice for my proposal presentation and I needed a 6-person ‘curatorial group’ – I reached out to those I trusted, and they happened to be spread across different courses and academic levels – architecture students, fellow fashion design students, even a lovely lady I bumped into at a cookie shop who happened to study curation at Goldsmiths. Once we received confirmation that our proposal was accepted, these people naturally fell into their roles. Since being unfamiliar with large group collaborations, it was initially very unnerving, but I was very lucky to be part of a group that continued to support throughout the exhibition development.

What was it like seeing your idea develop from an initial proposal into an exhibition?

There was a lot of hope and trepidation since there was so much initial preparation, sub-proposals and many online meetings before things felt real. The development of the loom, with the sheer amount of research, sketches and renders, felt almost inconceivable until material was entering the gallery, technicians were assembling and suddenly this ceiling-high sculpture was present at the centre of the space, ready for people to start weaving. On the other hand, it was great to develop my initial proposal into the realms of spatial design, curation, graphic design and public programming, meeting many talented artists and designers throughout the process.

What’s one thing you’ve learned in curating this exhibition?

It was necessary to be flexible in curating the exhibition since factors were changing constantly. No amount of prep, images, sketches or renders compared to seeing the work in real life and installing it in-person. Additionally, it was an endless balancing act between the expectations of my own, time management, the budget, CSM values and more importantly the individual needs of the exhibiting artists. Simultaneously, I was overseeing spatial design and curation, graphic design, public programming and communication. I learned about management, the significance of communication and organisation, trusting those around me to take on responsibilities – all to manifest this proposal into something that became much larger than myself.

What would you like people to remember about A Common Thread?

The reason I proposed for the loom – a large central installation that was also interactive – was to directly bring the exhibition’s ideas of craft and tangibility to the visitor. In a gallery space, it is easy for visitors to feel alienated, but I wanted both the title – A Common Thread – and the modest act of weaving to encourage all types of people to feel welcome to contribute to the growth of the exhibition. The loom is a symbol of community practice, how the simple up-down motion of weaving could accumulate to an entire tapestry. Against a backdrop of diverse work, I wanted to share that tangibility, handcraftsmanship and ancestral preservation all starts from the simplest acts of creativity.

Find out more about A Common Thread