Information

metaFORM Exhibition

MA JSRP 2014-15,

School of Jewellery, Birmingham, UK

Professor Jivan Astfalck, 2015

Website: http://metaformma.wix.com/blog
Location: School Of Jewellery, Birmingham
Members: 18
Latest Activity: Nov 10, 2015

 

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

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.
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
come but to be, total source, invades fullness.”
-Juan
Ramón Jiménezit.

With excessive darkness there
emerges the need for light, which, paradoxically,
is reflected in all aspects of people’s life. As
far as I am concerned, a light can illuminate
a dark space and let people no longer fear
the darkness. It is undeniable that there is
darkness in people’s life, which can represent
failure, frightened, exhaustion or stuck in the
past. However, there must be a light to fix you.
When it comes to my collection, I have spent
time to experiment and research electronics and
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.
The reason why I chose fibre optic is that the
particular characteristics of it can show different
artistic potential of light, and deviate from the
popular use of LED light in other jewellery
Function is also an important aspect of my
works because it encourages interaction. By
using a press stud or a magnet ( since they are
conductors ), when you wear it, the light will be
switched on; when you take it off , the light will
be switched off. Other pieces are controlled
by tilt switches,these turn the light on when
tipped up. You can also put it on your arm, it will
light-up when your arm is lifted. All this arouse
a powerful sense of curiosity in the audience.
There is darkness in life and there are lights,
and I do believe that you are one of the lights.

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
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
E-mail: aimeejewel.ts@gmail.com
Website: http://aimeejewelts.wix.com/jewellerydesigner


I want the wearer to be able to see the intricate
details in both the front and back of my pieces to
fully appreciate the wearable sculptures from all
dimensions.
The concept behind my work is about showing
the properties of plastic, sand and thread to
bring delicacy and craftsmanship to un-traditional
jewellery materials. Monochrome coloured
thread has been woven through the work to
depict the organic lines found in nature, such
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.

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
moment of dancing,when all the romance is far
away,the eternity is always there.”
My original inspiration comes from looking at
vigorous life. I used wool and resin to make
cocoons and referred to the concept of turning
into a butterfly, after that I researched different
materials to enrich my work, aiming to catch the
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
—the abstract shape makes the beauty eternal.
To express the vigorous vitality around the body,
the desire for life, the twisting and revolving
nature, which also seems like something is
struggling and burning. Multiple colours resemble
setting the passion of fire and life, eventually it
has to face the inevitable fate of losing its beauty.
Once gone, all that will be left is the beauty
captured in my pieces.

Necklace
Materials: Electroformed plant, super
sculpture clay, copper, paint, resin.
Size:180 x 360 x 50mm

Francisca Onumah
E-mail: contact@franciscaonumah.co.uk
Website: www.franciscaonumah.co.uk

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.
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

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.
To present the joining cells and replicate how
they grow, I chose pure wool, yarn as my
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.
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
interchangeable colours seen in the cells. such
as green and yellow which come from plant cells.

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 traveling 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.
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.
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

Jingheng Li
E-mail: jingheng_li@yahoo.co.uk
Website: jinghengli.wix.com/jewellerydesigner

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.
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.

Brooch
Materials: Acetate plastic,
nylon, steel, brass
Size: 95 x 90 x 30mm

Boya Yu
E-mail: boya.yu@outlook.com
Website: http://yuboya.wix.com/contemporaryartist


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.
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.

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.
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
scheme to bring forward the intricate details
and it fits with my own personal aesthetic.
I t 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
Website: 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
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
E-mail: jy.kuang1991@gmail.com
Website: http://jykuang1991.wix.com/jieyuan

While 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.
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.

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
been my fascination with Science Fiction. Taking
inspiration from various movies, I have been
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.
I want to communicate imaginatively using my
making skills with the audience or in this case,
the wearer, turning the unrealistic into reality.

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
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.
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.
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.
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.

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
unexpected components occurred in material
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
cascading structure illustrates the sense of
exquisite beauty in volume and slight texture.

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.
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
E-mail: yuzheng2639@126.com
Website: www.zhengyujewellery.com

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.
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.

Necklace
Materials: Concrete, wood, steel wire
Size: 200 x 200mm

Chih-Ning Li
E-mail: bonnie79628@gmail.com
Website: http://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.
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: 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
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
E-mail: 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
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


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.
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.

Exaration
Materials: Plastics, soil, wood,
cement, stainless steel
Size: 98 x 52 x 27 mm

Shen Jiang
E-mail: jiangshen0324@gmail.com
Website: www.pikore.com/papajohnuk

Jewellery is a vehicle to express emotions,
thoughts, narrative and even the world.
I use drawing to record the experience of my life.
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.

Brooch
Materials: Pencil, copper,
enamel, Goldleaf

Junyang Xu
E-mail: 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
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.
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
E-mail: syiz527@126.com
Website: www.yingzhoujewellery.com


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.
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.

Wood ornaments
Materials: Tree bark, copper.
Size: 40 x 36 x 33mm

Chang Han
Email: didyouhearmecizee@gmail.com


Human, we are proud. We think we are
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
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
E-mail:hello@lanacrabb.com
Website: www.lanacrabb.com


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.
Special thanks to Cookson gold

Squeeze
Materials: Silicone, thread, 9ct
yellow Gold, faceted Amazonite
beads
Size: 150 x 80 x 40mm

Yuan Ruan
E-mail: joyce_ruanyuan@outlook.com
Website: www.tumblr.com/blog/joyce-yuanruan


My design philosophy is that jewellery can
not only be a decoration but also interact with
audience.
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.
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.

Ring
Materials: Acrylic
Size: 30 x 30 x 39mm

Comment Wall

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Comment by 2Roses on September 14, 2015 at 11:35am

Very impressed with the concepts and execution of the work presented here. Even more so with some of the presentations themselves. The photos of the work are every bit as innovative as the work itself. Overall, a stunningly well done exhibition.

Comment by Brigitte Martin on September 13, 2015 at 12:40pm

Crafthaus member Dauvit Alexander, most recently hired Professor at the Birmingham Jewelry School, visited the metaForm exhibition and uploaded additional images that show the work in a live environment: http://crafthaus.ning.com/profiles/blogs/end-of-first-week?xg_sourc.... Enjoy.

Thanks Dauvit!

 
 
 

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