The Cherry Blossom Project: A Collective Bloom in Silk
A single piece of silk organza, a fold, a line of stitching. Repeat this 4,800 times and something shifts: what was once intimate becomes something shared. In the Cherry Blossom Project, spring is built slowly through the care and persistence of many hands, each one contributing to a larger whole. And, readers, you are warmly invited to take part, whether by joining a workshop or signing up for a kit to contribute to the installation.
The project takes as its starting point the Korean mandu: a small, dumpling-like form traditionally made within the practice of bojagi, the Korean tradition of pieced and wrapped cloths used to cover and protect objects. Historically, these bundles carried messages—good wishes folded into cloth and given as gifts. Here, that gesture feels especially alive. Participants construct a string of five mandus using naturally dyed Korean silk, often tucking inside a private message—something hopeful, kind, or quietly personal.
Hand-stitched silk mandu forms suspended as part of The Cherry Blossom Project installation.
When gathered together, these contributions form a suspended landscape of silk, which will be exhibited at the Garden Museum in London (28 April – 21 May 2026), before travelling to Phoenix Art Space in Brighton and the Oriental Museum in Durham. The work draws on cherry blossom festivals across East Asia, where people come together beneath flowering trees to mark the season’s arrival. In this project, that coming together happens through making—across homes, studios and shared tables.
Sara Cook stitching silk mandus for The Cherry Blossom Project, with the growing installation behind.
Participation is structured yet open. Makers can register to receive a kit of dyed silk and instructions, returning their completed mandus to be installed. Many make more than one, helping the project grow while adding small variations that give the installation its richness. Alongside this, a programme of low-cost and free workshops welcomes community groups, widening access and bringing people together through stitching. Whether encountering Korean textiles for the first time or simply enjoying making in company, you too can take part!
While initiated by Sara Cook, the installation depends on a wide community: over 800 participants from more than 20 countries have so far participated, reflecting a growing international enthusiasm for the project. Workshops with students, youth groups and local makers bring different energies and approaches, all shaping the final piece and grounding it in shared experience.
A bowl of hand-stitched silk mandus in graduated pinks, surrounded by the tools of their making.
This is not participation as embellishment, but as foundation. The installation’s texture and variation come directly from many hands working independently, then coming together. Support from the British Korean Society has helped make this breadth possible.
There is, too, a quiet resistance embedded in the work. At a time of speed and dematerialisation, the Cherry Blossom Project insists on slowness and touch, with each mandu carrying the trace of its maker.
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Further Information:
The Cherry Blossom Project will be exhibited at the Garden Museum in London from 28 April – 21 May 2026, before travelling to Phoenix Art Space in Brighton and the Oriental Museum in Durham.
To find our more and take part, please click HERE
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Image Credits:
Lead: Korean mandu's created for The Cherry Blossom Project. Courtesy of Sara Cook.
All further images courtesy of Sara Cook and as credited in captions.