Academy of Art University. MFA Degree Show 2018

Exhibition / 01 Mar 2018 - 29 Apr 2018

Published: 31.07.2018

Academy of Art University

: 79 New Montgomery Street
CA 94105 - San Francisco
UNITED STATES

: Website Academy of Art University

Mail:: cmodenaacademyart.edu

Phone:: 1-800-544-2787

Management:: Charlene Modena

Object: Ouch! My Nose by Liyun Hsing.Brass, stone, gel.. 2017.17.8 x 20.3 x 15.2 cm.Photo by: Rainy WongMy work focuses on the feelings of women when they attempt to pursue beauty in order to satisfy the norms of society. I discuss the social phenomenon of modern feminism, such as body hair issues, cosmetic surgery, and body shaming. It is my goal to have some influence on the way our culture views these societal “rules." I hope to help change these views for the benefit of all women and increase awareness of this phenomenon which has been going on for centuries. In my work, I try to celebrate being a female and the many different aspects of femininity. My thesis, “As a Female,” reveals some of the unreasonable sacrifices of women and serves as a reminder that these unrealistic norms still exist in society today..

Liyun Hsing
Object: Ouch! My Nose, 2017
Brass, stone, gel.
17.8 x 20.3 x 15.2 cm
Photo by: Rainy Wong

My work focuses on the feelings of women when they attempt to pursue beauty in order to satisfy the norms of society. I discuss the social phenomenon of modern feminism, such as body hair issues, cosmetic surgery, and body shaming. It is my goal to have some influence on the way our culture views these societal “rules." I hope to help change these views for the benefit of all women and increase awareness of this phenomenon which has been going on for centuries. In my work, I try to celebrate being a female and the many different aspects of femininity. My thesis, “As a Female,” reveals some of the unreasonable sacrifices of women and serves as a reminder that these unrealistic norms still exist in society today.

Head piece: My Way of Study Habit by Chenyu Chiu.Copper, paper.. 2017.30 x 25 x 45 cm.Photo by: Christy Chenyu Chiu.From series: Daughter is PricelessI have always been fascinated by the stories in art. To me, stories and human memories increase the value of jewelry. The significance of my jewelry and sculptural work is to express that every human is priceless. As a jeweler and sculptor, I use brass, bronze, and wood, which to me are representative value, nature, and life. In most of my work, I forge brass rod to show that our life path is always hard and irregular. I also use Chinese knots to symbolize the strong tie that connects each family member. Growing up, my parents spent a lot of time teaching me values and the importance of education. They used their own experiences and knowledge passed down to them to teach me how to build my own life. My projects are based on those memories, lessons, and values of thinking, which I can pass on to the next generation..

Neckpiece: Ruff by Xiaoxin Hu.Brass, acrylic.. 2016.Photo by: Xiaoxin Hu.From series: Never Bow DownAs I grew up, I had to constantly focus on my level of confidence; but fear still showed on my face while engaging with others. My inner heart needed a long time to become stronger. My goal was to develop my confidence around other people. Inspired by the Elizabethan era ruff and lace patterns, I am making wearable sculptural jewelry based on my concept, “Never Bow Down.” The significance of this concept is that I won’t lower my head to anyone or anything. I will develop the confidence to present the best of myself to people. In these projects, I used plastic and metal to evoke the visual of a ruff and integrated the traditional and modern materials to create a new vision of wearable jewelry in historic and current mediums. Although life is not perfect, there are ways we can have spiritual support from something that can give us power both externally and internally..

$Necklace: Flow Like Water III by Meixian Li.Steel wire, powder coating.. 2017.19.8 x 66 x 5.1 cm.From series: Flow Like WaterBefore I came to the Bay Area I lived in Hangzhou, a water village in Southern China. I was fascinated with the patterns that water creates as it is reflected and refracted, as well as the movement of water with its shapes and colors as it swirls, creating abstract scenery. In the way of Taoism, the “going with the flow” philosophy has helped me many times when I was struggling. It has been a beautiful reminder for me to continue to follow my own path, live my own purpose, and walk on in the face of difficulties. I show the movement of water in my pieces to demonstrate the feeling of calmness that I experience when I am by the water in Hangzhou. I used many different materials such as resin, porcelain, and handmade paper combined with metal. The resin, porcelain, and paper show the soft and gentle, while the metal shows the hard and rigid. For color, I mostly chose blue and white, which gives the feeling of purity and peace. The water is a metaphor for my life experiences, which have always been bittersweet — while calm and soft, beneath the surface is power and strength..$

Bracelet: Rational Thinking & Emotional Thinking by Siming Li.Brass, silver, resin.. 2017.7.6 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm.Photo by: Keman Sheng.From series: Rational Thinking & Emotional ThinkingThrough my concept of “Rational Thinking and Emotional Thinking,” I seek to explore a new form of wearable art—one that exhibits a new relationship between jewelry and the wearer. Through my choice of materials and symbolic design patterns, each piece portrays both a rational and emotional feeling. Depending on mood or situation, combined with design aspects, each piece can be worn to display either rational or emotional elements. Acrylic, 3D printing, laser cutting, and lathe work, which involve high accuracy and precision, are used to express rational thinking. Formed metal, resin, and fabric more easily express sentiment and emotional thinking. These two modes of thinking constantly appear in our daily lives, and while they obviously differ, there will always be a struggle as well as a coexistence between rational and emotional thinking..

Necklace: Waiting to be Reborn I by Yuan Luo.Butterfly wings, copper, silver.. 2017.12.7 x 30.5 cm.Photo by: Ye Zhang.From series: WaitingWaiting is full of hope and belief. When people are waiting, they usually are sure that something will come to them. Through my jewelry and sculptural work, I want to express this positive experience to remind people that they should enjoy these lingering moments that they often encounter. Waiting is a classroom for people to learn about patience and anticipation, and I believe that there is always something good that is worth the wait in our lives..

Piece: Mind Hearing I by Jieun Oh.Walnut, silver, copper, bronze.. 2016.Right: 3.8 x 8.9 x 24.1 cm; Left: 3.8 x 8.9 x 8.9 cm.From series: Window of the MindI make contemporary jewelry and sculptural objects based on my concept, “Window of the Mind.” My concept expresses the importance of communicating one’s true thoughts and emotions. I believe impactful pieces evoke strong emotions in others, and the viewers of my work experience love and tranquility momentarily. To me, the emotional clarity of a piece is a key concept to bring forward in order to create a sense of positive energy within an area of negative memories. During our lives, we are continuously influenced and divided by our beliefs either consciously or unconsciously. It could be through multiple modalities such as education, culture, society, or tradition. Being raised in a Korean household, I grew up in a strict community where I had to be respectful and show emotional discipline before those who were older than me, which only enticed a facade of true courtesy. After dwelling on some of these philosophical ideas, I strive to depict emotional transparency and unrestrained design so I may share the emotions I felt while creating the art pieces..

Chenyu Chiu
Head piece: My Way of Study Habit, 2017
Copper, paper.
30 x 25 x 45 cm
Photo by: Christy Chenyu Chiu
From series: Daughter is Priceless

I have always been fascinated by the stories in art. To me, stories and human memories increase the value of jewelry. The significance of my jewelry and sculptural work is to express that every human is priceless. As a jeweler and sculptor, I use brass, bronze, and wood, which to me are representative value, nature, and life. In most of my work, I forge brass rod to show that our life path is always hard and irregular. I also use Chinese knots to symbolize the strong tie that connects each family member. Growing up, my parents spent a lot of time teaching me values and the importance of education. They used their own experiences and knowledge passed down to them to teach me how to build my own life. My projects are based on those memories, lessons, and values of thinking, which I can pass on to the next generation.

Xiaoxin Hu
Neckpiece: Ruff, 2016
Brass, acrylic.
Photo by: Xiaoxin Hu
From series: Never Bow Down

As I grew up, I had to constantly focus on my level of confidence; but fear still showed on my face while engaging with others. My inner heart needed a long time to become stronger. My goal was to develop my confidence around other people. Inspired by the Elizabethan era ruff and lace patterns, I am making wearable sculptural jewelry based on my concept, “Never Bow Down.” The significance of this concept is that I won’t lower my head to anyone or anything. I will develop the confidence to present the best of myself to people. In these projects, I used plastic and metal to evoke the visual of a ruff and integrated the traditional and modern materials to create a new vision of wearable jewelry in historic and current mediums. Although life is not perfect, there are ways we can have spiritual support from something that can give us power both externally and internally.

Before I came to the Bay Area I lived in Hangzhou, a water village in Southern China. I was fascinated with the patterns that water creates as it is reflected and refracted, as well as the movement of water with its shapes and colors as it swirls, creating abstract scenery. In the way of Taoism, the “going with the flow” philosophy has helped me many times when I was struggling. It has been a beautiful reminder for me to continue to follow my own path, live my own purpose, and walk on in the face of difficulties. I show the movement of water in my pieces to demonstrate the feeling of calmness that I experience when I am by the water in Hangzhou. I used many different materials such as resin, porcelain, and handmade paper combined with metal. The resin, porcelain, and paper show the soft and gentle, while the metal shows the hard and rigid. For color, I mostly chose blue and white, which gives the feeling of purity and peace. The water is a metaphor for my life experiences, which have always been bittersweet — while calm and soft, beneath the surface is power and strength.

Siming Li
Bracelet: Rational Thinking & Emotional Thinking, 2017
Brass, silver, resin.
7.6 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm
Photo by: Keman Sheng
From series: Rational Thinking & Emotional Thinking

Through my concept of “Rational Thinking and Emotional Thinking,” I seek to explore a new form of wearable art—one that exhibits a new relationship between jewelry and the wearer. Through my choice of materials and symbolic design patterns, each piece portrays both a rational and emotional feeling. Depending on mood or situation, combined with design aspects, each piece can be worn to display either rational or emotional elements. Acrylic, 3D printing, laser cutting, and lathe work, which involve high accuracy and precision, are used to express rational thinking. Formed metal, resin, and fabric more easily express sentiment and emotional thinking. These two modes of thinking constantly appear in our daily lives, and while they obviously differ, there will always be a struggle as well as a coexistence between rational and emotional thinking.

Yuan Luo
Necklace: Waiting to be Reborn I, 2017
Butterfly wings, copper, silver.
12.7 x 30.5 cm
Photo by: Ye Zhang
From series: Waiting

Waiting is full of hope and belief. When people are waiting, they usually are sure that something will come to them. Through my jewelry and sculptural work, I want to express this positive experience to remind people that they should enjoy these lingering moments that they often encounter. Waiting is a classroom for people to learn about patience and anticipation, and I believe that there is always something good that is worth the wait in our lives.

Jieun Oh
Piece: Mind Hearing I, 2016
Walnut, silver, copper, bronze.
Right: 3.8 x 8.9 x 24.1 cm; Left: 3.8 x 8.9 x 8.9 cm
From series: Window of the Mind

I make contemporary jewelry and sculptural objects based on my concept, “Window of the Mind.” My concept expresses the importance of communicating one’s true thoughts and emotions. I believe impactful pieces evoke strong emotions in others, and the viewers of my work experience love and tranquility momentarily. To me, the emotional clarity of a piece is a key concept to bring forward in order to create a sense of positive energy within an area of negative memories. During our lives, we are continuously influenced and divided by our beliefs either consciously or unconsciously. It could be through multiple modalities such as education, culture, society, or tradition. Being raised in a Korean household, I grew up in a strict community where I had to be respectful and show emotional discipline before those who were older than me, which only enticed a facade of true courtesy. After dwelling on some of these philosophical ideas, I strive to depict emotional transparency and unrestrained design so I may share the emotions I felt while creating the art pieces.

Through the School of Jewelry & Metal Arts (JEM), students find and cultivate their artistic voices as they create innovative pieces utilizing techniques ranging from the traditional in jewelry skills to the latest utilizing electronics, lasers, and 3D modeling and printing. Students may apply these skills to create one-of-a-kind pieces or the production of multiples. JEM has a strong focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness with the materials and procedures used by students and instructors.

Artist list

Christy Chenyu Chiu, Rita Liyun Hsing, Xiaoxin Hu, Michelle Meixian Li, Nicole Siming Li, Yuan Luo, Jeanne Jieun Oh

Thesis Advisors:
Charlene Modena (Director, School of Jewelry & Metal Arts)
Alexis Pavlantos
David Casella
David Sekoll
Diego Taccioli
Francesca MacKie
Gordon Silveria
Jonathan Russell
Karen Chesna (Online Coordinator, School of Jewelry & Metal Arts)
Killean Evans
Mark Hellar
Norm DeCarlo
Walter Dickhaut
Wendy McDermott

Academy of Art University

: 79 New Montgomery Street
CA 94105 - San Francisco
UNITED STATES

: Website Academy of Art University

Mail:: cmodenaacademyart.edu

Phone:: 1-800-544-2787

Management:: Charlene Modena

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