Tobie Tse Fuses Crochet, Lace and Digital Animation in Hand-Stitched Motion Works
Tobie Tse, a multimedia artist from Hong Kong, creates animated pieces that merge hand-stitched textiles, illustration, and digital movement, drawing inspiration from the roots of animation. Her creative journey begins with hand-drawn sketches, which she transforms into hand-stitched crochet grids before scanning or photographing them for digital animation. Influenced by zoetropes and Eadweard Muybridge’s The Horse in Motion, she emphasizes basic animation techniques. Her notable works, such as Change and Phenakistoscope, reinterpret historical animation practices while paying tribute to the art form. A commission from Olivia Rodrigo boosted her profile. Tse’s creations, all dated 2026, feature poignant lyrics and natural motifs, alongside her exploration of analogue methods like cyanotypes. This article was penned by Ellis Tree for It’s Nice That.
Key facts
- Tobie Tse is a Hong Kong-based multimedia artist.
- Her works combine hand-stitched textiles, illustration and digital motion.
- She was commissioned by Olivia Rodrigo.
- Her process starts with hand-drawn sketches, followed by hand-stitched crochet grids and borders, then digital animation.
- She cites zoetropes and Eadweard Muybridge’s The Horse in Motion as influences.
- Her works include Change, You’ve been my favourite for a long time, Always on my mind, Star, Meant to be, Nouveau and Phenakistoscope, all dated 2026.
- She draws on organic motifs such as botanical patterns, birds and mythical star creatures, with an homage to Matisse’s La Danse.
- She has begun experimenting with cyanotypes and cross stitching for future mixed media motion projects.
Entities
Artists
- Tobie Tse
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Eadweard Muybridge
- Henri Matisse
- Ellis Tree
Institutions
- It’s Nice That
- Kingston School of Art
Locations
- Hong Kong
- China