Egg Fantasy by Xiaochuan Zhang

中文版 - Chinese version      

Artist list

Xiaochuan Zhang

In the impression of many people, Zhang Xiaochuan is a “pioneering” professional jewelry designer and is also one of the earliest designers to establish independent jewelry brands in China. Of course, she is regarded as “pioneering” not only because she is a predecessor, but also because many of her design works have naturally become “classic”.

My earliest knowledge of Xiaochuan’s jewelry came from her “Aviator” series. This jewelry series was born in 2009 and has been updated from time to time until today. I remember that the “Aviator” series could be found almost in all the large art stores and fashionable designer collection stores, although not many, in Beijing at the time. The image of “Aviator” is actually a fly. It certainly took great courage to make jewelry in the shape of a fly. Xiaochuan stressed that people were often used to judging the “goodness” or “badness” of creatures by our own likes or dislikes, which was not fair. Therefore, she made an ingenious transformation by reshaping an object that everyone had kept away into an object that everyone wanted to own. From another perspective, the Chinese pronunciation of “fly” resembles the pronunciation of “always win”. As a designer growing up in Guangdong Province, she is very precise in grasping the traditional Chinese connotation. In fact, when I saw “Aviator” for the first time, I recommended it to a friend who loved playing mahjong immediately, and that friend cherished it as treasure. Besides, I have seen designer friends wearing it on many occasions. This small metal “fly” is not only suitable for ordinary decoration but also has a humorous meaning, making it an unforgettable piece of jewelry. Perhaps, this is right the quality that a good design should carry.

Xiaochuan’s source of inspiration has always been simple and coming from her obsession with “natural objects”. It can also be said that her works come from her pursuit of “vitality”. At the beginning of our discussion of the current exhibition plan, she mentioned the theme of “eggs”. I once thought subjectively that this would be a burst of new inspiration. But when I looked through her recent jewelry works and other works beyond jewelry, I found that “eggs” have always been through them, implicitly or explicitly.

Until this time, she finally decided to materialize those intangible “eggs” in her mind into tangible “eggs”. They are not ambiguous, but are presented in front of the audience in a very concrete appearance, as concrete as miniature bionic eggs. Standing in front of those “eggs”, you may subconsciously take care of them gently, lest you will disturb some little creatures living inside.

Xiaochuan said that “eggs” were the carriers of life. In this series of works, “jewelry” becomes the carrier of “eggs”, and the “eggs” are carefully inlaid on the metal “egg tray” and become “gems” with life.

Moreover, Xiaochuan’s brand-new series of jewelry works will also be released for the first time in this exhibition. In addition to the visual beauty embodied by exquisite craftsmanship, the new series of jewelry will also bring us a special sensory experience, because they are literally related to the “smell”.
 
You are welcome to reveal more unsolved mysteries at our exhibition site.


Opening: 6 Nov, 4 pm.
Opening Hours: 6 - 14 Nov, 1 - 7 pm.


About the artist
Xiaochuan Zhang is a Chinese famous prominent jewelry artist, graduated from the Department of Sculpture at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2001. In 2005 she received senior study and training in the integrated systems at the National College of Art and Design of Stuttgart in Germany. Xiaochuan left for Italy and achieved the first master degree in the Accessories department at Domus Academy in Milan, Italy 2006. After her return to China, she set up the “Xiaochuan” studio and the jewelry art brand named after “Xiaochuan” as well. Many works of art are collected by celebrities and museum.


Poster design: Yanxin Chen
Photography of Series of Egg Fantasy: Luran Huang