Artist Statment
As a Jewelry designer and fabricator, I remain focused on the development of form through aesthetics while integrating a sense of purpose through functionality. My life experiences and the people around me inspire all the pieces of jewelry that I have worked on.
My current artwork is based on the "Four Gentlemen", a series of teacups. "梅蘭竹菊 " which pronounce "Mei Lan Zhu Ju" refers to the four plants; plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. They are often known in Asia as the "Four Gentlemen among Flowers" which represent the characteristics of humans in Asian countries, and it's the symbols that represent one's moral integrity. My parents have always taught me these human characteristics, and I've seen many paintings from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China with these elements while I was traveling. I love the meaning behind the "Four Gentlemen among Flowers", and I decided to make a series of works in metal art for my parents. I have two cultural backgrounds, my dad is an Australian, and my mom is Taiwanese. I combine the Eastern world traditional brush painting with Western silverware to create my jewelry pieces. The teacups are made with sterling silver and plique-à-jour enamel. Each teacup has one of the four flowers etched on the bottom of the cup with basse-taille and champlevé enamel to show the patterns and colors.
I love to combine different cultures, transforming different experiences, and all the techniques I've learned into my jewelry pieces.
