Hermits’ Toast by Jie Sun and Märta Mattson

Artist list

Jie Sun, Märta Mattsson

Contemporary Art Jewelry being part of Contemporary Art stands from the perspective of visual art and contemporary culture to comprehend and observe design itself. With the development of this era, design within the Contemporary Culture ecosystem has transformed from traditional pragmatism and functionality to finding balances which bridge between handicraft, functionality, concept, culture and life.

Hermits’ Toast taken from a vivid description of a famous Chinese ancient poem of Li Po – You Ren Dui Zhuo, describing two people living in recluse, drinking to each other in utmost freedom and enjoyment. This exhibition will present works from two outstanding young designers who are both currently active in the international scene of jewelry design. Yet they come from eastern and western cultures with very distinct backgrounds and life experiences. They start from their own individual understanding of Contemporary Art Jewelry, combining with their own sensitivity to creation, using abstract or representational languages to explore the artistic and conceptualism of Contemporary Art Jewelry. Pursuit of jewelry material and handicraft in traditional sense of jewelry design has been intentionally concealed; instead, they distinctively presented a witted and smart characteristics of the works to make their “design of spirit”, rather then “design of matter”; at the meantime, transmitting unlimited possibility of the relationship and interactivity between Contemporary Art Jewelry and human relations.

Jewelry works from Jie Sun and Marta are almost pieces of mysterious sculptures; after designers finished the riddle, they handed the answer to the audience. “Oneness of heaven and humanity” are the common pursuit of both designers. This is an experiment in the Contemporary Art Jewelry language; “what you are contains me, what I am contains you”. You and me, all as one, yet remains their independent existence. Such intention and capacity allows the work to become “wearable sculpture”.

Exhibition Hermits’ Toast attempts to conduct a conversation between eastern and western cultures in the scope of Contemporary Art Jewelry; starting from practice, using concept and thoughts to redefine and re-pursue Contemporary Art Jewelry and Visual Art.