MFA Jewellery and Body Ornament
Graduation Project 2015-2017 by
Yip Hiu Tung
To my family for their love and support.
Acknowledgments
I would like to firstly thank my tutors, Peter Bauhuis and Lucy Sarneel, with all my heart, for their guidance and support helped shape my work and me as a maker. These two years have been an invaluable experience that I will always treasure. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to all the great teachers I have studied under at Alchimia: To Lucia, for believing in me since day one and for constantly pushing me to go further. To Riccardo, for all his passion and immense knowledge of art poured into the wonderful lessons. To Marzia and Daniela, for always being constructive and for teaching me all the building blocks of jewellery making. I am grateful beyond words for my family and friends, who see through the awkwardness and uneasiness I carry, and still stick with me through thick and thin even when I was half a globe away. Thank you Lewis, for making me a better person. To all the lovely people I was lucky enough to meet in these two years, grazie mille. I hope we will meet again.
Foreword I giielli di Hiu Tung: una questione pudore e di vulnerabilità. Dove è il confine che siamo disposti ad oltrepassare quando ci si trova di fronte allo spazio che separa noi stessi dal rapporto con gli altri? Quando e come è lecito attraversarlo? Quali conseguenze implica stabilire una relazione con l’altro? Dove finisce il nostro spazio privato? Quando è che iniziamo a misurare la distanza che vogliamo ( ? ) mantenere quando ci esponiamo a conoscere qualcuno? E’ una questione di vulnerabilità: valutare il rischio di essere invisibili o forse quello di essere feriti nel momento in cui permettiamo a qualcuno di entrare in una qualche relazione con noi, che sia essa visiva, verbale o tattile. La prima forma di conoscenza diretta quando ci si avvicina a qualcuno è il contatto puramente visivo. E’ un momento di alta vurnerabilità perchè essere curiosi dell’altro presuppone una esposizione che a sua volta implica la possibilità di creare uno sbilanciamento. Certo è che la ricerca di un equilibrio porta con sè la potenzialità di una caduta, e quindi l’organizzazione di un atteggiamento difensivo. Per certi animali il primo contatto può costituire ragione di sopravvivenza. Guardando i gioielli di Hiu Tung, come possiamo non pensare ai coloratissimi occhi dipinti sulle ali della farfalla che servono ad intimorire il possibile prexdatore che la vede dall’alto, e, scambiandoli per uno sguardo minaccioso gli fanno deviare il volo? I gioielli di Hiu Tung dicono questo: guardami, vieni vicino, ma non troppo che mi intimidisci. Dicono anche, guarda me e non il resto di me, affinchè io sia salva. Un meccanismo di attrazione - GUARDAMI - per avere il tempo di mischiare le carte, studiare l’avversario, decidere se proprio di un avversario si tratti, se sia forse pericoloso o se invece possa esere un amico. Dicono ENTRA, ma ti trattengo un attimo sulla porta. AVVICINATI, ma non troppo vicino, per piacere. Dicono, TOCCAMI - Ma stai attento che mi puoi ferire. Dicono anche guardate i miei gioielli e non me. Non subito. Forse, in futuro saremmo amici.
Lucia Massei
Director of Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School
The Jewelry of Hiu Tung: a question of modesty and vulnerability. Where is the boundary that we are willing to overcome when faced with the space that separates us from our relationship with others? When and how is it permissible to cross it? What consequences are implied by establishing relationships with one another? Where does our private space end? When is it that we start measuring the distance we want ( ? ) to keep when we expose ourselves to meeting someone? It is a question of vulnerability: to evaluate the risk of being invisible or perhaps of being injured when we allow someone to enter into a relationship with us - whether it is visual, verbal or tactile. The first form of direct knowledge when approaching someone is purely visual contact. It's a moment of high vulnerability, because being curious about the other presupposes an exposure that in turn implies the possibility of creating an imbalance. What is certain is that the search for a balance brings with it the potential of a fall, and therefore the organization of a defensive attitude. For some animals, the first contact may constitute a reason for survival. Looking at the jewelry of Hiu Tung, how can we not think of the colorful eyes painted on the wings of the butterfly that are used to intimidate the possible predator? When seen from above, it mistakes them for a threatening look, making them veer from their flight. Hiu Tung’s jewelry says this: look at me, come close, but not so close that you intimidate me. They also say: look at me and not the rest of me, so I can be safe. An attraction mechanism – LOOK AT ME - to have time to shuffle the cards, to study the opponent, to decide whether it is an opponent you are dealing with, whether perhaps they are dangerous or whether they can be a friend. They say ENTER, but I’ll hold you at the door for a moment. COME CLOSE, but not too close, please. They say, TOUCH ME - But be careful, because you could hurt me. They also say look at my jewelry and not me. Not now. Perhaps we could be friends in the future.
Lucia Massei
Director of Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School
About This Research
Maybe we are all timid in a way. There is a specific kind of vulnerability in opening your personal space for others to come in while simultaneously tiptoeing into theirs. To me, it is a very intimate discomfort when we try to get to know, and to be known by someone. It may happen in days or go on for years. For some it is the first direct eye contact, for some it can be the second they feel themselves truly opening to the other person; nonetheless that’s a very bare moment. For when we allow ourselves to care, we also allow ourselves to be hurt. But it is the only way to have any deep and sincere relationships: be vulnerable. ‘Look Gently’ is a series of jewellery about this delicate process of interacting and bonding with people. It is about the balance between safeguarding your comfort zone and venturing into the wild. It is to want to be understood and sometimes be untouchable, thus a play between attraction and repulsion, between shyness and assertiveness. It is to say ‘Please don’t look (at me) too aggressively, but do look.’ I drew inspiration from animals in nature by engaging with how they attract and repel one another.
Some birds, like rollers, use vibrant colours to attract mates, but for some other animals, like poison dart frogs, the striking colours are deadly warnings. Animals can be equipped with eyespot mimicry – fake eye patterns on their body to distract enemies, pretending to be something more intimidating than their otherwise defenseless selves. I created these pieces thinking how humans can achieve such effect without colourful feathers or patterns on our skin. These pieces catch your eyes, they asked to be looked at, but are also slightly intimidating because they stare back at you. As the fruit of a two-year journey, I would like to provide for all the like-minded souls a little bit of protection and camouflage in such vulnerable moments.
Lilac-breasted roller
How to use a ‘Look Gently’ piece:
Public Domain Photos under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0)
Poison-dart frog
Owl butterfly
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Use it to distract people who ask you questions which are way too personal
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Use it to quietly imply that you’re an interesting person
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Use it to disvert curious strangers from your blushing nervous face
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Use it to attract your crush you have never talked to
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Use it to distract yourself in annoying/boring occasions you’re obligated to attend
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Use it as a small talk initiator, no more boring talks about the weather
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Use it to subtly suggest others that you’re not scared, but please don’t come any closer
Look Gently
I think there is a very delicate process to know, and to be known by someone: The process of interaction and bonding. We gently touch their personal bubble, not too fast, or it will be intruding; not too slow, or they may slip away. It maybe slightly awkward, possibly intimidating, and likely requires courage and patience. I borrow the eyespot mimicry from animals who are not confident enough. Because sometimes we all need a bit of protection, a bit of camouflage. Look at my brooch, and maybe me. I promise I’m interesting, would you like to talk about the weather?
Look Gently Series No. 1 Brooch 9.9 x 8.3 x 5.4 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 3 Brooch 13.6 x 11.3 x 6.0 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 9 Brooch 10.5 x 9.6 x 5.5 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 5 Brooch 10.9 x 10.1 x 5.0 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 14 Brooch 10.3 x 9.6 x 6.4 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2018
Look Gently Series No. 12 Brooch 10.6 x 7.5 x 6.2 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 8 Brooch 9.5 x 7.3 x 5.2 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 6 Brooch 10.4 x 8.3 x 4.2 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 7 Brooch 14.0 x 9.8 x 6.0 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 2 Brooch 10.5 x 9.8 x 5.9 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 11 Brooch 11.4 x 6.8 x 7.8 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2018
Look Gently Series No. 16 Brooch 8.0 x 6.7 x 4.2 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2018
Look Gently Series No. 10 Brooch 8.8 x 7.4 x 7 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2018
Look Gently Series No. 4 Brooch 13.2 x 8.5 x 4.8 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2017
Look Gently Series No. 13 Brooch 10.0 x 8.2 x 5.3 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Steel Pin, Varnish 2018
Look Gently Series – Dotties Pins 3.5 x 3.5 x 2.1 cm Paper, Silver, Cold Enamel, Varnish 2018
Credits photography & editing Yip Hiu Tung model Venus Lau graphics Yip Hiu Tung
writings Foreword - Lucia Massei Translated by Marissa Racht Ryan Content - Yip Hiu Tung special thanks to Lewis G. Miller Calvin Kwok Venus Lau Diana Pantea
All Rights Reserved. Firenze / Hong Kong 2018