Our MA in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products course philosophy addresses historical and contemporary concerns, which relate to the existing and potential relationships that can exist in this discipline. We educate our students to recognize, identify, understand and operate within this diversity. Our approach to cross-cultural education is distinctive and we positively embrace the idea that different backgrounds, feelings and aspirations contribute to the richness of our experience and lives. The philosophy of the course is embedded in a structured programme that requires students to address vocational and academic research in design by applying their developing abilities and interests to a wide range of issues and design questions. Design experiences include ideas generation focused through strategies for concept development, the analysis of design problems and reflection on the relationships between personal objectives, cultural values, market identities, prototyping techniques and new technologies, thus enhancing knowledge and understanding, as well as facilitating the formation of new approaches to contemporary making practice. It is interesting to consider the wide variety of studio methods, artefacts and products included in the province of the designer, maker, artist who has knowledge and expertise in the area of personal ornaments, body signification and decorative objects. The varieties of materials, manufacturing techniques and processes available have considerably more potential than is indicated by the term ‘jewellery and silversmithing’. Our making practice can have affinities with industrial design, fashion design, fine art and socially motivated creative practice, and is often informed by intellectual engagements with strands of philosophy, strategies of conceptualisation or other investments in critical theory.
In addition, we as makers and artists are continuously faced with shifting parameters and multi-layered value systems, which determine and shape our ways of understanding artistic production. We are exposed to changing and often-contradictory ideas that derive from conceptual thought, contextual dissemination of creative production and critical reflections on our practices. Students on the MA in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products are exposed to these seemingly endless possibilities and are required to define their position while creating new work to represent their newfound understanding, value and meaning. At the beginning of the course ideas were explored, and have been transformed, de-constructed, re-constructed and interpreted over the year of the programme. Intense material research, skill development, and questions of wearability and functionality have been addressed and problem-solved. Finally each maker generated a body of work that demonstrates integrity of artistic enquiry and sensitivity to materials and processes. The creative work of the students on our MA programme address the most vital issues in contemporary applied arts and are expected to question established ideas, of what constitutes adornment, and how decoration should be defined and executed. These works are interesting in the way the design has been developed, the material has been handled and the idea-based concepts are represented. In addition to these more objective aspects of creative work, they also elicite an instantaneous sensual reaction of pleasure, a desire to touch, hold, use and wear. Professor Jivan Astfalck, 2015
CONTENTS Robert Goldsworthy
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Jing Li
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Shichu Xia
10
Jingheng Li
26
Anqi Di
12
Boya Yu
28
Tianshu Chou
14
Yu-Chu Huang
30
Xiaofeng Guo
16
ZhaoRan He
32
Francisca Onumah
18
Chenjiajing Shao
34
Tianyin Xu
20
Jieyuan Kuang
36
Fanmiao Tang
22
Yu-Ting Lin
38
Youdi Lou
40
Francesca Antonello
56
Yunqian Li
42
Shen Jiang
58
Jing Zhang
44
Junyang Xu
60
Hangchen Duan
46
Zheheng Ye
62
Zheng Yu
48
Ying zhou Sun
64
Chih-Ning Li
50
Chang Han
66
Hao Zhong
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Lana Crabb
68
Yu Zhang
54
Yuan Ruan
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Robert Goldsworthy E-mail : robert.goldsworthy1@gmail.com Website: robertgoldsworthy.co.uk
I am fascinated by the processes involved in the making of things and the way that we perceive and interpret visual messages. We can make all sorts of assumptions from the languages that are used to communicate to us, whether they are verbal or visual, and sometimes miss out on important parts of messages and nuances by ignoring the unsaid, the spaces in between which are an integral part of those threads. I have mainly used white enamel on copper sheet. Using copper sheet as a base has been a liberating material as opposed to using precious metal, a material that makes my work accessible rather than exclusive and engages in a dance with the enamelled layer above, exposing the green verdigris through the surface. Black oxidised surfaces on exposed copper have become black graphic threads and patches having been heated and fused in the kiln’s orange heat. Fissures and cracks evolve during this process which defies both precision and order.
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I use the vessel as the vehicle for my work in both object and wearable form. Traces of lines and threads that come off the drawn and sketched page are echoed into the work, transferred and transformed across dimensional boundaries.
Wearable vessels Materials: Vitreous enamel, copper Size: 110 x 60 x 30mm
Shichu Xia E-mail :xsc217@gmail.com Website: www.xscjewellery.com
“light coming from I know not where, not seen to The reason why I chose fibre optic is that the come but to be, total source, invades fullness.” particular characteristics of it can show different artistic potential of light, and deviate from the -Juan popular use of LED light in other jewellery Ramón Jiménezit. With excessive darkness there Function is also an important aspect of my emerges the need for light, which, paradoxically, works because it encourages interaction. By is reflected in all aspects of people’s life. As using a press stud or a magnet ( since they are far as I am concerned, a light can illuminate conductors ), when you wear it, the light will be a dark space and let people no longer fear switched on; when you take it off , the light will the darkness. It is undeniable that there is be switched off. Other pieces are controlled darknesses in people’s life, which can represent by tilt switches,these turn the light on when failure, frightened, exhaustion or stuck in the tipped up. You can also put it on your arm, it will light-up when your arm is lifted. All this arouse past. However, there must be a light to fix you. a powerful sense of curiosity in the audience. When it comes to my collection, I have spent There are darknesses in life and there are lights, time to experiment and research electronics and and I do believe that you are one of the lights. technology to achieve my ideas which considers function, interaction and a sleek appearance. I successfully bring light to my work by using conductive threads, fibre optic and tiny LED lights.
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Brooch Materials: Acrylic, screw, fibre optic, electronic components Size: 50 x 50 x 15mm(left) 30 x 15 x 60mm(right)
Anqi Di E- mail: D.angie0328@gmail.com Website: http://dangie0328.wix.com/2015
My practice is located within the abstract lines and fractures from the personal documentation of my travels.Through the different compositions, I leave the audience to envisage these cities and to possibly spark a curiosity into knowing more about these places. London is the first European city that I have visited. The many travellers in the historical underground bring an abundance of energy to the city. I use wire to depict the manic transportation links as they wrap around slabs of roughly textured concrete. Nostalgic colours like the faded orange and browns are to show the vintage surrounding in my pieces. Unlike London, the reason why I am interested in Birmingham is because of my studies there. The square structured wire sits above the concrete slab at different heights to show the geometrically shaped buildings of the landmarks
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in Birmingham. The space in between emphasises the abstract lines of the buildings. Burn marks and rustic colours express the industrial nature of the city. Through the circular composition, I depict the ancient city Beijing. It is a city rich in culture but suffers from bad pollution. It has little clear skies, often covered by haze formed by dust. I use black and white to show the bland city with red elements to draw attention to this environmental issue.
Necklace Materials: Powder-coating, concrete, cold-enamel Size: 100 x 20 x 50mm
Tianshu Chou
The concept behind my work is about showing I want the wearer to be able to see the intricate the properties of plastic, sand and thread to details in both the front and back of my pieces to bring delicacy and craftsmanship to un-traditional fully appreciate the wearable sculptures from all jewellery materials. Monochrome coloured dimensions. thread has been woven through the work to E-mail: aimeejewel.ts@gmail.com Website: http://aimeejewelts.wix.com/jewellery- depict the organic lines found in nature, such designer as the veins in leaves. I am focused on finding a new aesthetic through contrasting the regular plastic forms and the irregular arrangement of thread to create new patterns and textures.I have balanced the materials to enhance the sense of space and layers that will in effect create a world of purity, beauty and tranquility. Circular forms are neatly arranged with wire and thread whilst strips of plastic are carefully layered to the structure. The black, white and grey brooches come from the shades used in Chinese Ink Paintings. With its simplistic colour palette, the texture is highlighted.
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Brooch Materials: Nickel, thread, paper, spray paint, colour palette, polypropylene Size: 180 x 90 x 70mm
Xiaofeng Guo E-mail : iaofeng.Guo@mail.bcu.ac.uk Website : www.xiaofengguo.wix.com/ideaboom
“To feel the flame of dreaming and to feel the —the abstract shape makes the beauty eternal. moment of dancing,when all the romance is far To express the vigorous vitality around the body, the desire for life, the twisting and revolving away,the eternity is always there.” nature, which also seems like something is My original inspiration comes from looking at struggling and burning. Multiple colours resemble vigorous life. I used wool and resin to make setting the passion of fire and life, eventually it cocoons and referred to the concept of turning has to face the inevitable fate of losing its beauty. into a butterfly, after that I researched different Once gone, all that will be left is the beauty materials to enrich my work, aiming to catch the captured in my pieces. moment of growth and flow, meanwhile express the vigorous vitality. In ancient China, philosopher Zhuang Zhou had a dream that he turned into a butterfly, when he woke up,he couldn’t tell which one was true, did he dream of the butterfly or did a butterfly dream of him. Meanwhile, the relationship between me and my work makes me question, do I create them or are they waiting for someone to give them life. I demonstrate the inner power within,I show motion but the objects are still
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Necklace Materials: Electroformed plant, super sculpture clay, copper, paint, resin. Size:180 x 360 x 50mm
Francisca Onumah
Inspired by the impressionists painters’ theory of ‘tache’ which relates to the unrestrained expression in mark making, my work embraces an impulsiveness and spontaneity in its approach to Silversmithing. In combination with this, my work borrows from the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi and intentionally creates and accepts imperfections. These concepts are the fundamental driving forces of my practice.
E-mail: contact@franciscaonumah.co.uk Website: www.franciscaonumah.co.uk
Patterned planes are painted with marks of a bruised and scared nature. The combination of hammered marks and textile pattern are blended together and infiltrated through a combination of intentional and unintentional impressions. As the making process evolves, anthropomorphic forms are delicately mutated, augmented and made new but not fresh, to unearth a precarious landscape of objects that revere in a dusky and tactile scene imperfection.
Special thanks to the South Square Trust
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Vessels Materials: Copper, correcting fluid, ink Size: 155 x 55mm (left), 160 x 35mm(right)
Tianyin Xu E-mail: xutianyin_tt@sina.com Website: www.pinterest.com/TrishaXu/
My project originally arose from microscopic photographs of different cancer cells and their linking parts, growths, textures and patterns on the surfaces. I explored formations of cancerous cells which created unique patterns. I used knitting skills to portray this concept and created organic shapes and textures to show my interpretation of these formations.
The element of surprise has been used through using tactile and playful material inside to create a creepy and intriguing sensory experience.
For the design, I choose colours to reflect the basic cell colour combinations used in micro photography of cells. They were dyed with pigment then painted to reflect the subtle and To present the joining cells and replicate how interchangeable colours seen in the cells. such they grow, I chose pure wool, yarn as my as green and yellow which come from plant cells. main material because it is easy to shape and can produce diverse crocheted patterns. My works combined wool with metal wire to create a more three dimensional and varied structures. Individualized knitting patterns were used to create separate small pieces that can join together to create a whole a variety of wearable forms. Through my works, I consider the combination of different pieces and then the joining of these pieces to create a larger product through playful and interactive design.
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Necklace Materials: Wool, yarn, silicone, copper wire, fur Size: 320 x 350 x 70mm
Fanmiao Tang E-mail :Fanmiao.Tang@gmail.com Website: www.fanmiao.org
The aim of this collection is to not just create wearable jewellery but also to create objects that when not warn form miniature representations of landscapes. Whilst travelling in Europe, I became inspired by seeing organic life in natural crevices on rock faces. It reminded me that even the fragile can be strong and that the accumulation of small things can create an object of unlimited power. The following quote has become a philosophy for my works: "We are only as strong as we are united and as weak as we are divided"(J.K.Rowling, 2004) The pieces reveal delicate scales like forms of lichen and moss, balancing out the rough textures of rock. I collected natural stones from different places I had visited, and these offered me reference to my colour scheme and structure.
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Fish scales were collected from fish markets as an unconventional material to recycle and reinvent what would otherwise be regarded as waste. A contrast in my materials is shown through juxtaposing vivid colours and forms against dull tones.
Brooch Materials: Fimo, fish scales Size: 65 x 68 x 30mm
Jing Li E-mail: jinglijeweller@sina.com Website: www.jinglijewellery.com
My jewellery explores the interaction of the body on the outside world. My observations come from people on escalators, standing in line leaving behind their hand and fingerprints on the handrail. Through my pieces, I want my audience to relate to others’ stories and provoke thoughts on the traces of peoples’ identities. Hand and fingerprints are a mark of a person's individuality although they are not always visible to the human eye. When people stand on escalators, we sometimes gain only a quick glimpse. When this happens, we identify people by their appearance alone whilst the reality is that people are complex and it is difficult to fully understand someone just by what they look like or an imprint. For me, I like to explore the traces of the real, tangible existences and create an imaginary persona through my works.
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Jesmonite and second-hand clothing constitute the main materials used in this collection. I cast impressions of the body onto smooth Jesmonite. When people touch the surface they can feel the grooves and indentations of the pieces unique to an individual. The second-hand clothes used in the works are an interpretation of peoples’ lives and their stories.
Imprint Materials: Jesmonite, pigment, second-hand clothing, copper. Size: 80 x 60 x 60mm
Physics and mathematics, make up the forms in the world around us and I find endless beauty in this construction. I am fascinated by geometric architecture and in particular triangles. Triangles create numerous shapes and my work utilises a variety of repeated triangular units to form wearables. Creating geometric structures through jewellery can be seen as a form of architecture for the body.
Jingheng Li E-mail: jingheng_li@yahoo.co.uk Website: jinghengli.wix.com/jewellery designer
I use transparent plastic materials that are easily cut and highlight colour to create more visual dynamics in my jewellery. Plastic is flexible and light and this enhances the repeated patterns in my pieces. Through the replicated triangular layers, you can see depth and complexity.
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Brooch Materials: Acetate plastic, nylon, steel, brass Size: 95 x 90 x 30mm
Boya Yu
My aim is to express the beauty of nature through organic structures. I work with leather and appreciate its malleable qualities. Working with this medium allows me to be more experimental because of its versatility. I work fluidly and intuitively and my designs evolve as I work.
Email: boya.yu@outlook.com Website: http://yuboya.wix.com/contemporaryartist
My inspiration comes from flora, fauna and the drawings of Ernst Haeckel. I created my own patterns following the lines of the various kinds of plants and animals. I then used these patterns as a base for inspiring my jewellery. My process consists of cutting and carving on nude brown leather; the lines are explicit and the patterns emphasised. I have designed larger scale pieces to include detailed patterns and a variation of structures. This is an integral aspect of the collection.
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Necklace Materials: Vegetable tanned leather Size: 200 x 320 x 35mm
Yu-Chu Huang
E-mail :yuchu0206@gmail.com Website: www.yuchuhuang.com
Having been trained as a traditional silversmith, I have sought to reinterpret my learning and bring the new definition to my idea of jewellery making. I have focused on using non-precious materials for my works, making them precious by their design and detail. My inspiration has come from the quality of contact lenses as they are made of silicone rubber which is a non-precious material. My hope is to change its value by the changing its function. I believe that everyone wears their own lenses and views the world differently according to their gender, country, religion, family and background. People’s values are formed by their experiences and these factors contribute to their construction of the world.
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I have created my own colour shadings in my contact lenses and then used them in my jewellery. I have incorporated various tones of greens, blues and purples. Colour is the most important part of my work and the aim of my work has been to create fluidity in the gradation of the colour. I define my works as delicate with intricate detail. By adding detailed and varied colour to the silicon rubber, the quality of the material has been altered.
Ring Materials: Silicone rubber, pigment Size: 70 x 70 x 70mm
Zhaoran He E- mail: zhaor_he211@hotmail.com Website: http://hezr9211.wix.com/he-zhaoran
My jewellery is inspired by natural forms. The living world of organic organisms and structures has always been of interest to me. I am bridging connections with nature and jewellery to capture the small signs of life. Recently I have paid particular attention to the cactus. The shape and transformation process of this plant fascinates me. They have many interesting qualities that attract me, such as the variety of details in their textures, different thorns and bulbous structure. The changes in the growing process, such as the thorns getting stronger and the flowers sprouting, combined with my personal aesthetic with colorful, sweet, fresh and pure is what I want to create in my own ‘plants.’ Within my current work, the bulbous structures and prickly strands are made from silicone, clay and polymorph to represent the qualities found in a cactus. These materials were chosen to create textures and forms that resemble the flower-like shapes in my pieces. I chose a light pastel colour
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scheme to bring forward the intricate details and it fits with my own personal aesthetic. It must be playful, funny and colourful. shapes in my pieces. I chose a light pastel colour scheme to bring forward the intricate details and it fits with my own personal aesthetic. It must be playful, funny and colourful.
Ring Materials: Clay, silicone, pigment Size: 40 x 30 x 20mm
Chenjiajing Shao E-mail : elle.shao@hotmail.com webside :elleshao.wix.com/jewellery-elleshao
I believe that style comes in all shapes and sizes. I aim to make bold pieces: “Big is beautiful�. The bigger you are, the more style you have. Therefore, through my work I hope to explore the natural beauty of human body and encourage people to be confident, no matter how much you are over the average Body Mass Index (BMI). On the other hand, fat results in many diseases in our society today. So I want to warn about the harm of being overweight as well by representing the contrast of flesh and intestines or blood vessels. My work is intended to represent the folds and furrows of skin of overweight bodies. I have been influenced by the plus-size model who is confident in body appearance and willing to present the oversize body. It is really brave and optimistic to accept the real self. I tried to express that something terrible like intestines or blood vessels squeeze out from the skin and
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body. I aimed to transform these negative effects of fleshiness into positive influence, by communicating beauty and positive energy through jewellery.
Ring Materials: PVC tube, air dried clay, dye Size: 50 x 40 x 120mm
Jieyuan Kuang
Whilst experimenting with many types of materials, I became captivated by the beauty of nylon thread. The texture of nylon thread and its sparkly surface allowed me to create soft cocoon like forms. My work in response to this, aims to change the perception of nylon, and to communicate how something so ordinary can be transformed into an object with surprising and unique characteristics. I want to challenge how nylon is perceived in the jewellery world.
E-mail: jy.kuang1991@gmial.com Webside: http://jykuang1991.wix.com/jieyuan
A contrast of extension between pastel and vibrant colours has been created through this collection, with an aim to highlight varying textures in the material. My brooch designs, has been made to be positioned on the end of the collar, and will be presented as a new position, a new use.
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Brooch Materials: Nylon, clay, steel. Size: 65 x 30 x 35mm
Yu-Ting Lin E-mail: albertlin108@gmail.com Facebook: Albert Yu Ting Lin Jewellery
The central theme of my design concept has I want to communicate imaginatively using my been my fascination with Science Fiction. Taking making skills with the audience or in this case, inspiration from various movies, I have been the wearer, turning the unrealistic into reality. inspired by the transformation of machines and futuristic objects. My aim is to use an innovative approach to add surprise to the jewellery wearing experience, creating a visual entertainment and utilising the function of the pieces. Using metal tubes and hidden springs, the pieces are made to change form when worn, the exclusive movement of the pieces adapt to the wearer’s body. The pieces of my collection are designed in a minimal and streamlined form. Every piece seems so simple but the hidden mechanism as part of the function makes the piece complex and multidirectional. The transformation is triggered by the wearer, and allows an interactive experience permitting the user to play with the movement of the jewellery.
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Ring Materials: Polystyrene, brass, extension spring Size: 105 x 45 x 40mm
Youdi Luo E-mail :youdi.09@hotmail.com Website:www.udiiil.com
I am searching for the monster The human figure becomes the monster; A dark and sinister aspect of humanity. Fear of the unknown, loneliness and isolation all occur in the mind. So where does the monstrous identity begin? I want to confront the viewer’s understanding and experience of Contemporary Jewellery through creating Surrealist and Absurdist forms. I have been influenced by the subconscious and specifically dreams as well as deep and hidden psychological states. The concept of ‘the monster’ arose from the historical idea that humans with deformities were considered freaks and took inspiration from “Cabinets of Curiosities”. Through my works, I aim to question; “What is a monster, exactly? Through an Absurdist lens, my work explores how something that appears as an irregularity of the human form can be misunderstood and
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perceived as unsightly and undesirable, outside of ‘the norm’. The surreal characters cast in silicon, show the abnormal, the unusual. Silicon is my primary material because it replicates skin-like qualities, especially its transparency and fluidity. My process consists of taking these abnormal forms and then adding and combining additional parts and materials. Through learning the language of a material, a new character and monster form is created. Once the parts are worn, the wearer takes on the characteristics of the historical, human monster spectacle as if they were a piece in the Cabinet of Curiosity.
Monster Materials: Silicone, stainless steel wire
Yunqian Li E-mail : mzliyunqian@gmail.com Website: www.liyunqianjewellery.com
A love of nature and a drive to present simplicity and purity are reflected in wood, my material. Wood provides a visual texture and also has a natural and organic quality. The materials and concept used in my collection are interrelated, growing organically in the jewellery making process. Closeness and visceral design have fed into my concept.
My inspiration has derived from the teachings of Zen Buddhism, which symbolises a type of Eastern wisdom promoting mindfulness and an awareness of cause and effect. This philosophy promotes harmonious, unified perspectives and the natural balance of nature must be considered at all times.
Through shaping and polishing, the original and unadorned qualities of wood are accentuated. The wood in my pieces presents a silk like aesthetic and in Chinese culture it is believed that wood promotes a sense of warmth and comfort. To highlight specific details of the works’ internal components, which are movable, I have applied bright colours taken from natural and organic landscapes contrasting the external aesthetic of the works.
I am interested in how we connect with materials and specifically the experience of the wearer when interacting with the work from an aesthetic, tactile and functional perspective. My works can only reach their full potential with human interaction.I endeavour to create jewellery that can be expressed as both an object and wearable piece of sculptured, contemporary jewellery.
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Brooch /Object Materials: Walnut, enamel paint, brass Size: 60 x 45 x 55mm
Jing Zhang E-mail : zhangjing_cn91@outlook.com Website: http://cargocollective.com/eroilika
My aesthetic inspiration derived from the cascading structure illustrates the sense of unexpected components occurred in material exquisite beauty in volume and slight texture. experimentation.Meticulous elements reflect on my work relate to my attention to delicate surfaces in textiles.By utilising repetitive elements, I make red tipped funnel shapes that are clustered together, connect units with dotted line which enamel painting clotted around fibre. I use a strong colour to highlight the outline of forms to balance the sense of lightness. The translucency of fabric allows light to diffuse into the various layers through the visible internal structure. I am fascinated by the wearers neck, where the jewellery and the clothing meet. The transparent and sensitive pieces sit on the neck and acts as an extension of the clothing. They serve merely as decorations with no function. Gradually distributing dotted texture in a neat outline combination of visual and tactile sensation.The
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Necklace Materials: Polyester fibre, cold enamel. Size: 200 x 100 x 50mm
Hangchen Duan
E-mail: duanhangchen@gmail.com Website: www.hangchenduanjewellery.com
‘Farmers weeding at noon, Sweat down the field soon. Who knows food on a tray? Thanks to their toiling all day.’ - Li Shen, Tang Dynasty poet In the Chinese culture, it is thought that rice represents positivity, hope and the renewal of life. Rice is a staple food source and an important life force for many people. I feel the value of rice is often overlooked and taken for granted. While rice is small and delicate it provides an enormous amount of energy as a food source. Through my personal form of expression, I have chosen to give emphasis to this insignificant grain, recreating its shape using air dough. In my works, I have produced many small repetitive grains with dough, and chose to create a light and malleable aesthetic. An individual grain is smooth, not rough in texture. I believe this to be simplistic but not simple-minded.
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The individual grains are repeated to create an overall work. I have constructed the grains to attain a visual texture expressing a sense of movement and direction conformity. By altering the grain to reveal an unpredicted radial dynamic with contrasting bold colours, I add an element of surprise to this positive source of life.
Brooch Materials: Air dough, enamel paint, white glue Size: 103 x 42 x 41mm
Zheng Yu
My collection is inspired by contemporary architecture. I examine and combine geometric shapes with my own personal style to capture the essence of cubism. Concrete grays are shown in my work to echo the subject matter.
E-mail: yuzheng2639@126.com Website: www.zhengyujewellery.com
Juxtaposition and repetition are also a crucial in the composition of my piece, the unites and the linear framework can be joined together to form a large piece. Each wearable piece has two or three shaped units. The shapes allow more solid and valuable, I use delicate 9kt gold wire to contrast the geometric shapes of concrete. The repeated units together form a shape like a mathematical formal, this adds another layer of meaning. Through my interpretation of architectural elements, I make structures that are worn on the body.
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Necklace Materials: Concrete, wood, steel wire Size: 200 x 200mm
Chih-Ning Li E-mail: bonnie79628@gmail.com Website: www.persephonebjewellery.com Facebook: Persephone B Jewellery
Making jewellery is a healing process. I like to explore the unconscious through my works and investigate how this reflects my changing emotions. I have been inspired by the adage; ‘you are what you eat’ and I have translated this to ‘you are what you draw’. For me, the mandala pattern is a kind of mental healing process created by drawing and then a 3 dimensional form of this. Its shape is used universally to promote healing and encourage positive states of being. I draw patterns which reflect my inner states of mind and translate them into my work. The metal frame supporting my wearable pieces represents my daily routine and structure. The act of squeezing the silicone through the frame allows for an expression of the spectrum of emotions experienced in our daily lives.
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I believe that jewellery is universal and should be accessible to all. I want my work to be worn on people everywhere and not just placed in galleries. People present themselves when wearing different outfits, revealing different identities. Through the colourful silicone in my pieces, I bring a wide variety of colour combinations. Through my work I have considered both the commercial requirements of jewellery making and a meditative and artistic jewellery making process.
Brooch Materials: Aluminium, silicone rubber, pigment Size: 100 x 100 x 30mm
Hao Zhong E-mail:filwzy@gmail.com Website: www. howellzhong.lofter.com
My work aims to transform tools in our daily work environment into interactive jewellery and objects. I believe the kind of tools the finger touches everyday reflects the working environment. I choose to examine traditional and modern office tools, the traditional stationary such as the pencil and book can be picked up and moved around to other places whilst modern tools like the mouse and keyboard are often fixed to one place. This depicts the current working conditions where workers are expected to stay and work in one place possibly due to capitalism. The stationery that withstands repetitive use results in the mind unconsciously remembering how to use them. Providing a movable element in the objects that I make, prompts an automatic interaction from the wearer and audience. I use copper and brass wire to form the jewellery and objects and silver-plate on the metal parts whilst oxidising the base to distinguish the moveable
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from the unmoveable elements. By placing the movements in a different context will hopefully add excitement to office workers on what is usually considered a boring experience in the workplace.
Ring Materials: Part of some offices tools, copper, brass Size: 170 x 50 x 20mm
Yu Zhang Email: ceiicelia@hotmail.com Website: http://ceiicelia.wix.com/celia-jewellery
Traditionally, jewellery is made to be attached to the body or to garments. I explore the relationship between adornment and fashion. What we adorn on our bodies is a part of jewellery. I use paper to create boundary crossing large-scale fashion pieces to highlight the complementary relationship between jewellery and garments. My work is using paper as a main material to create unexpected textures from a squeezing technique to imitate the garments. By contrasting minimalism fashion and textured jewellery, this is the epitome of my design aesthetic, which is simple but has delicate details. I work in white to highlight the different textures through the monotone shades created on the surfaces of my work. Adopting different fabrics with air dried clay reveals unique surfaces, characteristics, shapes, and textures. The interchanging texture between fabric and air dried clay inspired me to create this collection. I use a combination of different
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textures to create my own three-dimensional forms and combine with garments. The contrasting of textures and unusual wearability is the most characteristic part of my work.
Brooch Materials: Fabric, air dried clay, thread Size: 265 x 120 x 25mm
Francesca Antonello E-mail: info@francescaantonello.com Website: www.francescaantonello.com
In my work, I try to capture abstractions and elements while looking at the different kinds of rock erosions, which I reinterpret as a symbolic parallel with the intricate universe of human feelings into the passage of time. A path to transfigure the material's physical identity into something else, into something apparently different. My latest body of work has sprung from my interest in materials. My aim is to exploit the variety of consistencies, colours, porousness, transparency as well as their tactile qualities, through a process that is fast and spontaneous. I pay attention to the relationship between “both-sides� of the objects, working on imperfections, where the materials interact becoming interpreters of the memories. They all reflect the surrounding environment and how our lives are related to the space around us. I try to capture and transform memories and traces of past activities and lives, which the passage of time has tried to erase, reflecting on our relationship as humans to nature.
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The selection and organization of materials to give form to thoughts and experiences, is often the most exciting aspect of the making process. The final composition is fundamental, as this is what conveys the balance and harmony that I endeavour to achieve
Exaration Materials: Plastics, soil, wood, cement, stainless steel Size: 98 x 52 x 27 mm
Shen Jiang
Jewellery is a vehicle to express emotions, thoughts, narrative and even the world. I use drawing to record the experience of my life.
E-mail :jiangshen0324@gmail.com Website : www. pikore.com/papajohnuk
The experience of I came from China to England can always remind me a famous ancient Chinese novels called Journey To The West. There is a wide variety of unique, distinctive stories and characters can let me link it to reality. Pencil drawing on enamel is my jewellery language. I use it to express series stories about how my journey connect with the novel Journey To The West, and how I turn to a character in my fantasy imagination. I hope that audiences can exposure to the story and have a sense of empathy, thinking of the human nature, feel the shining of the ancient culture.
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Brooch Materials: Pencil, copper, enamel, Goldleaf
Junyang Xu Email:Charlotte07230604@gmail.com Website: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/jyx0723
The concept of my projects is to understand each person’s inner world, and to explore where people’s emotion comes from. When I got sick in hospital, I observed that people can show their emotion out. When doctor said you are healthy, people show their happiness. But, when doctor said you have some serious problem, they cannot even have a smile. Based on all these, I carried out my work. Human can not face their emotion truly, and hide the emotion again and again. They always hide their emotion deep. Just like their heart, deep inside their body and no one can see it or touch it. So I want to start a project that could reflect human’s emotion reactivity and expressivity. Lots of research show that demeanor is consistent with a concealed emotion. However, many people tried to suppress it. The body language is a strong message to tell others what you really think about. Because of this, I tried to talk with different people for 10 minutes. At the same time, I gave them one piece of clay. Then, I asked them some questions. When they were communicating with me, they could use their hands to knead the 60
During this process, I found that people all have body language while communicating with others. They normally have sign language to show their emotion, which means they use their hands to knead the clay in order to show their emotion. Based on observation and consideration, I found the appearance of the clay just likes people’s heart, and a more interesting thing is: in the medical area, the size of human heart is similar to human’s fist. In addition, when people knead the clay, they will leave their fingerprint on it. The fingerprint makes the projects more unique and personal. I assimilate the appearance of this project to stethoscope, because doctor often use clay. stethoscope to listen the internal sounds of human body. And the main idea of this project is to hear the sound of people’s inter world. So I use resin to make a hollow and transparent “heart”. I asked people to put something they want or they think are important to them in it. When people are their “heart” and have some movement, the staff they put inside can have a distinct move and sound to reflect indirectly their emotion.
Necklace Materials: Resin, aluminum Size:120 x 80 x 40mm
Zheheng Ye E-mail : yezheheng@163.com Website: http://yezheheng.wix.com/jewelleryartist
It has been incredibly poignant to look back on some of the industrial changes that have occurred in my hometown,Shanghai.Through living in the UK as a Chinese jeweller,I have been able to view my home town from a distance and its rapid urban development has become more obvious.I started to explore what we have lost due to my city changing so rapidly.I realised that these changes are not always instantly noticed or recorded by local people immersed in this culture. In my works,I use fabric and thread to make wearable books to record the transition of Shanghai. When people hold my jewellery, they will read a thousand words and can see the changes unfolding.When the jewellery is worn, they inhabit that changing world. I have used red embroidery to represent the word ‘ 拆 ’ which in Mandarin means ‘to be demolished’.It is a symbol shown on old buildings.This symbol represents a loss of history, a loss of intangible culture.
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My work therefore interrogates the struggle between modern China and tradition, examining the conflict between history and modernity and relates to my sense of belong.I use jewellery as an art form to record the changes that have occurred. I have called upon my personal recollections and memories to communicate the relationship between the destroyed and rebuilt, the homogenised and the disappeared.
Necklace Materials: Fabric, thread, lining Size: 560 x 225 x 74mm
Yingzhou Sun
The tree bark shows us delicate inherent textures and lines on the tree. I have chosen tree bark as my material, because for me it represents life, incorporating nature into our daily life. I enjoy how as a material it can be manipulated and shaped into many forms whilst still being light. I am interested in mixing opposites, with the intention to always give a surprise. Using these two different types of materials I aim to create a harmonious balance between the natural and the artificial.
E-mail: syiz527@126.com Website: www.yingzhoujewellery.com
Tree bark is an organic material and when combined with processed metal, it creates unique feature in my work. I use metal tube and wire to highlight the natural textures and shapes of the tree bark. I designed a series of wearables to explore the relationship between the jewellery and the wearer. Through the movable elements embedded in the wood it allows the wearer to interact with the jewellery.
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Wood ornaments Materials: Tree bark, copper. Size: 40 x 36 x 33mm
Chang Han
Email: didyouhearmecizee@gmail.com
H u m a n , w e a r e p r o u d . We t h i n k w e a r e magnificent creatures. In fact, we are only a gear of the system designed by the creator. Hierarchy, is a principle of the world. It is also an important feature of our society. We keep seeking an ideal position for ourselves in the hierarchical pyramid. In the meantime, we establish our criteria for value. We show our characters, stamp our individualities onto everything we own, to enjoy the prestige which our status brings us. Our belongings have become a media to broadcast our identities. Until death approaches us, we will never realize that there is no distinction between us and the naked animals. I chose a dramatic way to represent my collection. My animal characters are metaphors for the hierarchical human society. I tried to adopt an unorthodox method to reproduce a series of fine jewellery challenging the thought on value and status. Some typical objects, such
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as the livery collar, which is a symbol of gentry is referred to when I designed my collection. Audiences may regard my work as exaggerate ornaments, but if they look again, philosophical interpretation will be excavated. I wanted to diagnose and analyse how our attitudes towards the external world and beliefs in our internal world impact how we value ourselves and others.
Portrait Pendant Materials: Silver, brass, aluminum Size: 78 x 39 x 28mm
Lana Crabb
My own body’s familiar exterior and imagined interior, has provided me with an uncanny source with which to disgust and delight. My uneasy relationship with my own body has engrossed me, as well as broader feminine issues experienced in society and media, such as body image and functional deniability, sexualisation and adornment. The jewellery I make combines lush and bejewelled pink surfaces with stitching and ambiguous, fleshy forms. I aim to offer a visual invitation to touch and explore, whilst creating an aesthetic tension, playing with the balance of allure and repel. My jewellery demands attention and conviction to wear, encourages curiosity and provokes reactions when seen, when worn and touched. I hope to surprise and create a pause for interpretation and reflection upon the response.
E-mail ďźšhello@lanacrabb.com Website :www.lanacrabb.com
Special thanks to Cookson gold
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Squeeze Materials: Silicone, thread, 9ct yellow Gold, faceted Amazonite beads Size: 150 x 80 x 40mm
My design philosophy is that jewellery can not only be a decoration but also interact with audience.
Yuan Ruan
People play toys when they were young and that kind of feeling can last for a lifetime. I want to use my jewellery to bring my audience back to the sweet memory of their childhood.
E-mail : joyce_ruanyuan@outlook.com Website: www.tumblr.com/blog/joyce-yuanruan
I use acrylic as my main material and dyed it into bright gradient colours to build an animated mood. Playful colours that such as transparent and bright depicts the purity of the lively childhood memory. My work is divided into two series: the shaking series and the pressing series. The idea of both forms comes from the infant shaking and pressing their toys. I hope my audience can get a nostalgic emotion while doing the same action. Most of my pieces are brooches and ring to allow interaction whilst worn and some offer an element of surprise.
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Ring Materials: Acrylic Size: 30 x 30 x 39mm
Acknowledgements A huge thank you to our families, partners, friends, and loved ones. We would like to acknowledge all the unconditional love and support that you have so generously given to us over the course of our MA A grateful thanks to all the staff at the outstanding School of Jewellery, a place where we are all proud to have been educated and nurtured within. We would also like to thank Birmingham City University as an organization for their part in our educational journey For their financial sponsorship of our graduation show we would also like to thank: Sense Jewellery, Spectrum Fine Art Materials,Wei-Jei Jewellery.
Thanks for families and friends Bao Ye, Bao Yingying, Cai Ting, Chai Linbei, Cai Jialing, Chen Kang，Cheng Jiaxu, Chen Kaihua,Chen MeiJie, Chen Qingwen, Chen Xiaomin, Chen Xingyu, Chen Yusang, Chen Zepeng, Chen Zhiyan, Dai Youfang, Ding Dong, Diao Jiami, Dai Xinyi, Fu Kaiyu, Fei Ying, Gao Cong, Gao Kun, Gu Ming, Guo Puhong, Gu Xunjie, Guo Zhe, Guo Zhijun, He Dan, He Fengzhu, He Lei, He Jingsheng, Huang Lesong, Huang Lisha, He Xiaochun, He Xiaozhu, He Peng, Hu Mengru, Hu Qijun, He Qiqi，Huang Luwei, Huang Wei, He Xi, He Yining, Hong Yuyu, Huang Ze, Jiao Yang, Jiang Li, Jin Jixing, Jing Yu, Jiang Zhenzhen, Jin Biyun, Jie Pei, Lou Guoan, Lai Lianmin, Liao Li，Liang Haodong, Li Linyi, Liu Jianshuo, Li Hao, Li Jiayin, Lin Siqin, Li Xinmo, Li Xiuze, Li Runxuan, Lin Yan, Lu Jiajun, Lu Mengmeng, Liu Tiantian, Lu Wenbo, Liu Meichen, Liu Xin, Lu Xinyu, Liu Xinran, Liu Xuyu, Lin Yafei, Lin Yaxi, Liu Yang, Li Yining, Li Zijie, Li Zhefeng , Yu Lu, Ma Haocheng, Meng Guoqiang, Mao Yufeng, Mao Yuwei, Peng Yali, Quan Qiting, Qiu Wenjie, Qu Ziyu, Ren Pei, Sun Dahong, Sun Daqi, Shao Qi, Shen QiJun, Song Wanying, Shao Xinna, Sun Yan, Shi Yinghua, Song Yiting, Tang Bingxue, Tu Mei, Tian Jing, Wang Jia, Wang Jiuxiao, Wu Bo, Wang Dong, Wang Haiping, Wang Lijun, Wang Jiaying, Wang Linuo, Wu Qingqing, Wu Qingru, Wang Sayao, Wang Shihao, Wu Shimo, Wu Weihe, Wang Xiaoqing, Wu Yanyan, Wu Zihan, Xu Guangming, Xie Jinye, Xu Rui,Xiang Shuang, Xie Weiqi, Xiong Ying, Xu Yuqiao, Xu Zengsu, Xiang Ti, Yan Bifen, Yang Fan, Yin Wenjun, Ye Xiaoxiao, Yang Xinyao, Yang Yuhe, Yin Hang, Yu Xin, Yu Zhehui, Zhu Anna, Zhong Bing, Zhang Chaoqun, Zhang Chaoyao, Zhu Guoshuai, Zhou Hui, Zhang Jing, Zhang Liang, Zhang Lisheng, Zhao Lu, Zhao Mochen, Zheng Jiyu, Zhu Ruoru, Zhang Shengyang,Zhu Sijie, Zhou Na, Zhou Pengyun, Zhou Qijie, Zhang Rudai, Zhou Shumin, Zhang Yuncheng,Zhao Yue, Zheng Yue, Zheng Yiyi, Zhang Yunlu, Zhang Zhiyuan, Zhang Ziyuan
With special thanks to
Jivan Astfalck
Yi Liu
Bridie Lander
Karen Bartlett
David Clarke
Paul Evans
Suzanne Beautyman
Alan Kirton
Drew Markou
Kelly Brookes
Nuala Clooney
Annie Huang
Kathryn Marchbank
Catalogue Design
Anqi Di Chang Han Jing Li Jing heng Li Francesca Antonello Shen Jiang
ISBN: 978-1-904839-81-1