Qiang (Helen) Li
About
AWARDS:
Winner of Annoushka Charm of Hope Competition, London May. 2020
Bronze Award in 2019 International Jewelry Design Competition, China Aug. 2019
Winner of Platinum International Jewellery Design Competition, China June. 2019
EXHIBITIONS:
The 10th International Triennial of Paper 2020, Musée de Charme, Switzerland
Vernissage MASK Exhibiton, 2020, Gallery Alice Floriano, Brazil. (Online)
London × Beijing × Tokyo Jewellery Culture Exhibition 2020, Beijing
The Magnet Show, 2020, www.themagnetshow.com (Online)
Quintessence of Consciousness Contemporary Art Exhibition 2020, London (Online)
Growth & Evolution International Jewellery Exhibition 2020, Kunming (Delayed)
London×Tokyo Jewellery Culture Exhibition 2020, London
Jewellery Venice Design Week Selection 2019, Venice
2019 Beijing International Jewellery Art Exhibition, Beijing
Matter-Morphosis Jewellery Show 2019, London
Rising Stars 2019 Exhibition, Farnham
The Ornament New Year Exhibition 2019, London
Statement
Qiang (Helen) Li is a Jewellery & Object designer and artist based in London. After studying product design, she is interested in exploring the connections between art and design, form and function. Her jewellery work is a means of communicating new concepts relating to body and decoration. While industrial, mechanical and textile design influence her works, she breaks with traditional silversmith and goldsmith work and experiments with forms and materials. Her technical practice explores interactions between jewellery and desire leading to "fun jewellery" and inventive creations.
The Chocolate Box Collection I (Part 1)
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Gold-plated silver, gold-plated brass, stainless steel, gemstones, pearls.
Size: 220 x 220 x 70mm.
The Chocolate Box Collection I (Part 2)
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Sterling silver, bronze, copper, stainless steel, gilding metal, wood, gemstone, pearl, glass, magnets.
Size: 220 x 220 x 70mm
The Chocolate Box Collection I (Part 3)
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Silver, bronze, rhodium-plated brass, brass, stainless steel, magnets, raw garnet
Size: 220 x 220 x 70mm
The Chocolate Box Collection I (Part 4)
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Gold-plated brass, gilding metal, textile, chocolate
Size: 220 x 220 x 70mm
The Chocolate Box Selection II- Ceramic
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Gold-plated brass, ceramic, glass, gemstones, paper, chocolates
Size: 185 x 185 x 28mm
The Chocolate Box Selection III - Wood
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Ebony, gold-plated brass, silver, gemstones, natural pearls, magnets
Size: 180 x 60 x 42mm
The Chocolate Box Selection IIII - Stone
“The Chocolate Box” is inspired by the line from the 1994 Robert Zemeckis Film ‘Forrest Gump’: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” I am exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both chocolate and jewellery. They are related to love, joy, luxury, romance, satisfaction, treasure, and sometimes you get a surprise. The work is displayed as a collection in a luxurious box, each individual piece is a playful piece of jewellery for you to wear.
Medium: Stones, chocolates
Size: 145 x 155 x 26mm
De-stress Your Mind
The “De-stress Box” explores functional and interactive jewelry in a creative way. It examines ways of relieving stress using interaction with jewelry. Each piece in the box is playful and healing in a different way, for example rubbing on the skin, twiddling with your fingers or playing a game. There are pieces designed for de-stressing either mentally or physically.
Medium: Sterling silver, brass, Gold-plated gilding metal, copper, stainless steel, wood, acrylic, gemstones, natural pearls, felted wool, magnets, bubble paper, plastic.
Size: Size: 176 x 132 x 40mm
De-stress Your Body
The “De-stress Box” explores functional and interactive jewelry in a creative way. It examines ways of relieving stress using interaction with jewelry. Each piece in the box is playful and healing in a different way, for example rubbing on the skin, twiddling with your fingers, or playing a game. There are pieces designed for de-stressing either mentally or physically.
Medium: Silver, brass, gold-plated gilding metal, copper, stainless steel, wood, acrylic, gemstones, natural pearls, felted wool, magnets, bubble paper, plastic.
Size: Size: 176 x 132 x 40mm
Sweet × Heart
The “Sweet × Heart” collection is exploring the similarities between the strong emotional feelings associated with both sweets and jewellery. It helps people recall sweet memories and precious moments.
Medium: White gold, sterling silver, gold-plated silver, gemstones.
Yummy
Yummy Collection is made up of food selections in textiles. Each one is a wearable and colorful jewellery piece.
Medium: Textiles, gold-plated brass, stainless steel, pearls.
Be Awake
This project was created at the beginning of the Covid-19 virus, many international students were insulted when they wore the masks. They were treated as though they had the virus or were disseminators. At that time the toilet paper in many countries were sold out. Most people don’t know why but they still rushed to purchase them.
Medium: 24 karat gold, silver, quartz, onyx
Memory Palace
Inspired by the kaleidoscope, fragmentary reflections, and castles in the game “Conan Exiles”, the ring “Memory palace” is a minimal palace of memory, vision, self-reflection and exposure to the universe. The hexagonal stone with inclusions is full of imagination and surprises. The human self is like the inclusion in the universe, trying to break away from the memories, but constantly being reflected by the fragments of “self” and “non-self”.
Medium: 18 karat gold, sterling silver, rock crystal with Green Mica
Size: 31 x 29 x 31mm
In Collaboration with:
- Weikun Yin: gem dealer, gemstone appraiser
"Memory Palace" is a collaboration with Weikun Yin. She is the gem dealer & gemstone appraiser, and I am the designer of the project.