Born and raised in China with a background of eight years of learning fine arts, Yunan came to the US at the age of 17. After graduating from The Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Fashion Marketing and Management, Yunan worked at a well-known leather handbag company, where she mastered leather weaving techniques. Throughout the work experience, Yunan was fascinated about techniques for weaving and knitting subjects and discovered her passion in this field. To pursue her interest, she returned to school. In 2018, Yunan graduated from Academy of Art University with a MFA in Knitwear Design, and she was mentored by the famous knitwear designer Midori Sergent. Yunan was the only knitwear designer attended the NYFW graduation runway; in addition, she was selected for CFDA+ Design Graduates Program. In the same year, Yunan gave a speech about the creative design process at Apple store in San Francisco, as part of the series, "Today at Apple".
Yunan Ma fiber art atelier is committed to a narrative-driven process that transforms joyful memories into intimately crafted fiber designs. Inspired by the unconditional love of her childhood and the organic geometries of nature—from blooming flowers and microscopic cells to satellite images of Earth—Yunan possesses a unique perspective for conveying human emotion cheerfully. This radiant enthusiasm is beautifully embodied in the continuous, circular motions of her work. Her creative manipulation of fibers weaves into meditative forms where a complex universe can be discovered inside each vibrant fiber creature. Drawing upon a formal background in fine arts and knitwear design, Yunan meticulously sources from top global yarn mills, executing her work with the finest merino wool, alpaca wool, silk, cotton, and novelty accents.
Through her dedicated practice of hand weaving and needle felting, Yunan treats each strand of yarn as a pixel of memory, binding them together to create each piece as a profound reflection of her state of mind. By sharing this intricate process, each piece offers collectors a deeply sensory experience, radiating a joyful, welcoming energy for your mind and space.