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Jewellery & Metal (MA)

Yichen Dong

Award:

Martanovak Jewelry Symposium participation award, 2018 

Exhibition:

'Off the Shelf', Vitsoe, Munich, 4-13 Mar, 2017

'Shelf Aware', Vitsoe, Munich, 3-14 Mar, 2018

Athens Jewellery Week, Athens, Greece, 23-30 May, 2018

Degree Show 2018.Central Saint Martins, London, 20-24 Jun, 2018

MadridJoya, Madrid, 12-16 Sept, 2018

BCNJoya, Barcelona, 22-25 Sept, 2018

Joya Barcelona, Barcelona, 04-06 Oct, 2018

'SYMBOISIS', Art Jewelry Night Budapest, Budapest, 20-23 Sept, 2018

WIP Show , Royal College of Art, London, UK, 19-23 Jan, 2019

Inhorgenta, Munich, 22-25 Feb, 2019

Artistar Jewels, Milan, 19-24 Feb, 2019

Matter-morphosis, Royal College of Art Dyson Gallery, London, 09-11 May, 2019

Evolution, Hubei Institution of Fine Arts Museum, Wuhan, 15-30 Nov, 2019

Iteration, RMS Studio, Beijing, 7-13 Dec, 2019 

 

Education:

MA Jewellery and Metal, Royal College of Art, UK (2018-2020)

BA (Hons) Jewellery Design, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, UK (2015-2018)

Foundation 3-Dimansional Design, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, UK (2014-2015) 

Contact

Artist page

Instagram

Degree Details

School of Arts & Humanities

Jewellery & Metal (MA)

I work through processes of exploring, developing and making creative jewellery objects in reaction to moments of daily life. I am interested in developing the concepts of jewellery through making and through choosing materials which subvert our traditional understanding of objects.

My most recent body of work looks at deconstructing traditional interpretations of the ring and exploring the complex and ambiguous relationships in modern society. In my opinion, a wedding ring is a commodity attached to love.

The Ring as a traditional jewellery form, is symbolic of the value of personal relationships, and celebrates anniversaries and courtships. The wedding, engagement and eternity ring contain a rich historical and cultural background. They embody personal memories and create and tell abundant narratives and stories. In this project, I am focusing on the ring, this particular simple shape as a symbol, to explore the complex and ambiguous relationships in modern society.

Relationships and marriage are more complicated than a ring, yet the ring is their visual representation. There are stories, emotions, memories, commitment and values embedded in the ring. I kept imaging how to describe and deliver those messages and my thoughts about relationships by recontextualising the ring through changing its form. I used visual metaphors, like condom, birdcage and the loading symbol in designs to express my understanding and the implication of rings, such as protection, status and the complexity of relationships. I changed and extended the shape of rings to describe the tension and complexity of affection. In a way of using figurative metaphor, jewellery can achieve an unexpected outcome, and through a sense of humor we can challenge common tropes and understandings of this object. Metaphor is a hidden but powerful hint to define the reality, a use of similarities and connections between two different objects, which might only express part of the nature of the object.

To reconsider and question the value and preciousness of the material (gold and diamond) and the artistic value of the wedding and engagement ring, I have experimented with changed materials. This reveals and underpins the real value of jewellery- challenging traditional conceptions and material values and to make questions and audiences think.

11%

25%

36.2%

43%

50%

62%

75%

86%

99%

100%

loading
A set of rings suitable for different stages of a relationship. The ring becomes more wearable, stable and complete as the relationship grows.

Medium:

18k gold

Size:

3mmx18mmx18mm
accessoiresArtBodyDesignjewellerylovemetalRelationshipsRingSocial

It’s Complicated — 50mm x 40mm x 8mm

It’s Complicated

It’s Complicated

It’s Complicated — 20mm x 75mm x 5mm

It’s Complicated — 35mm x 68mm x 5mm

It’s Complicated — 18mm x 50mm x 5mm

Marriage/relationship is never as simple as a ring.
Inspired by the shape of springs. The complexity and tension in a relationship are like springs.

Medium:

18k gold, diamond

Size:

Variable sizes

It's Complicated — A wedding ring/neck piece. 300mm x 320mm x 4mm

It's Complicated

It's Complicated — Ring, 4mm x 69mm x 43mm

It's Complicated — Ring, 4mm x 80mm x 18mm

It's Complicated — Ring, 4mm x 30mm x 110mm

It's Complicated — Ring, 4mm x 75mm x 43mm

It's Complicated — Ring, 4mm x 68mm x 25mm

A wedding ring is a symbol of eternal, loyal and faithful love. However, being dedicated to love is a difficult task sometimes. This is a set of wedding rings symbolizing unfaithfulness.

Medium:

18k gold

Size:

Variable sizes

Ordinary love — Glass diamond ring

Ordinary love

Ordinary love

Ordinary love

Ordinary love

Ordinary love,glass diamond ring
'We can't fall any further
If we can't feel ordinary love
And we can't reach any higher
If we can't deal with ordinary love...' - Ordinary Love, U2, 2013

The diamond can move freely in the glass tube ring, and it always hides under the finger when worn because of the gravity.

Medium:

Glass, diamond

Size:

5mm x 18mm x 18mm

'Condom' ring

Put It On

Please wear wedding rings to protect your marriage. It is important to put it on.
Inspired by the symbol of condom.

Medium:

Silver, diamond

Size:

18mmx18mmx65mm

Love cage

Love cage

A wedding ring is a.....protection or restriction?
Marriage is like a fortress besieged: those who are outside want to get in, and those who are inside want to get out.

Medium:

18k gold, diamond

Size:

18mmx18mmx70mm

Expired rings

Expired rings

A ring will be expired when a relationship ends

Medium:

Silver, brass, garnet

Size:

18mmx18mmx4mm

Timeless

Wedding rings, are one of the most common categories of jewellery, have a simple and straightforward shape, but contain a lot of specific and strong symbolic meanings within their form. They are symbols of love, marriage and commemoration. I want to use this as a metaphor to express my thoughts and explorations about human feelings. In the jewelry store, most of the customers prefer the wedding ring of the classic style, symbolizing eternal love. In my opinion, a wedding ring is a commodity attached to love. Like any commodity in the supermarket, love has a time limit. I engraved the Best Before Date which printed on the food in the grocery. The date of expiration is Tomorrow (ie, the taste period is before tomorrow), making it an eternal ring. This is my expectation for love. I hope that love will never expire. Lovers can cherish the best ‘Today’ in every shelf life.

Medium:

18k gold

Size:

18mmx4mmx18mm

Diamond Pack

Gold and silver pack

Pearl pack

Amber pack

A relationship might be 'expired', but there is a way to keep it fresh with 'Love preservative'. It is an exploration about the value of jewellery in a relationship through out time.

Medium:

Plastic film, gold, silver, pearl, diamond, ruby, amber

Size:

30mmx50mmx7mm

Amber flavour

Earrings

Earrings

Brooches

Packaging

Packaging

Some jelly beans never expire.
Amber is an ancient material in historical and traditional jewellery, and it is a symbol of longevity. I carved amber into jelly beans and sweets as they have very similar colour and gloss. The contrast of material and shelf life subverts the perception.

Medium:

Amber, 18k gold

Size:

Earrings 8mm x 12mm x 6mm, Brooch 15mm x 7mm x 23mm

Crystal gold ring

Crystal gold ring

I reversed the material of the diamond ring. The gold is carved into the stone, and the stone becomes the ring. I want to question the value of the jwewellery and love.

Medium:

Crystal, 18k gold

Size:

18mm x 5mmx 22mm

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