Restless Matter at the Puyuan International Contemporary Jewellery Art and Design Biennial

中文版 - Chinese version      

Artist list

Morvarid Alavifard, Zoe Arnold, Jonathan Boyd, Caroline Broadhead, Maisie Broadhead, Zoe Clark, David Clarke, Emefa Cole, Rachael Colley, Sally Collins, Katharina Dettar, Naomi Filmer, Lucie Gledhill, Anna Gordon, Jennifer Gray, Adam Henderson, Andrew Lamb, Yaning Liu, Iona McCuaig, Kathie Murphy, Lili Murphy-Johnson, Bette Nunneley, Kathleen Reilly, Miles Robinson, Romilly Saumarez Smith, Roxanne Simone, Hans Stofer, Adi Toch, Jessica Turrell, Max Warren

Yet restlessness speaks beyond the unruly material. It points to memory, identity, to social and cultural contexts, and to the ways jewellery can embody resistance and renewal. It reminds us that objects are not static possessions but active participants in lived experience. Here, jewellery and objects are sites of ongoing transformation, always evolving.

Seen in this way, restlessness becomes a catalyst - one that sustains enquiry rather than resolving into certainty. The works in this exhibition are not fixed results but moments within longer journeys of research and experimentation. Each work emerges from a questioning practice that thrives in the unpredictable and embraces change as method.


UK Historic Overview
The jewellery landscape of the UK reflects a dynamic intersection of craftsmanship, material innovation, and cultural exchange. From ancient metalwork and medieval guilds to today’s experimental studios, it embodies both heritage and continual evolution. Home to leading institutions such as the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, Edinburgh College of Art and Glasgow School of Art, the UK has become a centre for jewellery education and research. These schools have fostered an international community of makers whose practices span diverse contexts, combining tradition with experimentation and critical enquiry.

Historic cities such as Birmingham and Sheffield have long been pivotal to the development of UK jewellery industry. From the 17th century Birmingham’s metalworking trades laid the foundations for the Jewellery Quarter, and today in 2025 the city is recognised as a World Craft City, for over two centuries of making. Sheffield’s invention of stainless steel in 1913 transformed material culture globally, influencing domestic design, and contemporary metalwork.

London, as the nation’s capital and a vibrant hub of fashion, commerce, and cross-cultural dialogue, has distinctive jewellery traditions. Among its oldest custodians of this heritage is Goldsmiths’ Hall, where the hallmark was invented. It continues to support makers through mentorship and exhibitions, including the annual Goldsmiths’ Fair. Institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum preserve and showcase collections spanning historical artefacts to contemporary design, establishing London’s role as a global platform for jewellery, making and design. The country’s legacy includes Celtic and Anglo-Saxon metalwork, treasures from Roman hoards, Viking-age artefacts, and the ornate jewellery of the Tudor and Stuart courts, all of which shaped its rich heritage.

Since the 1970s, continuing through the 1980s and 90s, the UK’s contemporary jewellery movement has challenged conventions of value, adornment, and social hierarchy. During this period, jewellery as a medium expanded into performance, installation, narrative, and conceptual exploration, with artists such as Caroline Broadhead and Hans Stofer laying the groundwork for today’s experimental practices. Artist communities like FOLD(s) continue this trajectory, bridging the pre- and post-digital eras while exploring layered meanings, identities, and histories, and actively supporting emerging artists in the field.

Today, UK jewellery continues to evolve, offering both makers and audiences the opportunity to engage with it as an art form. Restlessness reflects society itself, resonating with a world in which makers are rethinking the ethics and impact of material extraction. Recycling, re-use, and the search for alternative resources have become part of contemporary practice, expanding the discipline into new material territories. Within the exhibition, this awareness surfaces in unexpected ways, from works made from recycled aluminium cladding to transformed organic remnants - each reconsidering what preciousness is. This exhibition brings together voices that embody the breadth of current enquiry and practice within the UK’s jewellery field.

Curator: Adi Toch
Assistant Curator: Yaning Liu


Executive Comittee: 
Biennale President: Chen Xianghong
Supervising Producer: Chen Yu
Chief Curator: Chen Youtong
Executive Producer: Yao Jie
Academic Director: Sun Jie
Art Director: Cao Xingyun
Project Director: Shi Chong, Liu Yunling, Shi Qi

Host Organization: 
Puyuan Fashion Resort

Organization Institutes: 
- Dingdu Cultural Foundation
- JCC International Contemporary Center
- TRIPLE PARADE


About Puyuan Fashion Resort

Puyuan Fashion Resort is the “twin ancient town” to Wuzhen, created by the same visionary planning and design team. While Wuzhen celebrates culture, Puyuan embraces fashion. The two sit side by side, complementing each other in theme, sharing resources yet thriving independently.

As China’s largest wool sweater market and knitwear hub, Puyuan Fashion Resort redefines fashion beyond clothing, curating a lifestyle of quality and aesthetics. It is designed as a dynamic ecosystem where design, showcase, trade, retail, and experience come together—making it not only a fashion industry cluster but also a high-end travel destination.

Drawing from the waterways and landscapes of Jiangnan, the town blends Tang and Song architectural influences with an imposing grandeur that sets it apart from traditional ancient towns. True to its identity as “China’s Fashion Ancient Town,” Puyuan is constantly innovating and breaking boundaries.

Since its grand opening in 2023, Puyuan Fashion Resort has become a stage for trend-setting events: the Douyin Creators Conference, GQ Men of the Year Gala, Puyuan Fashion Week, Figaro Music Party, Asia Wedding Style 2024, and the China showcase of New York Fashion Week · New Discoveries. It has also been featured in hit shows such as Everybody Stand By, Go Fighting!, Cats in the Box, and The Legend of Shen Li.

With every collaboration and cultural crossover, Puyuan Fashion Resort is accelerating its growth, proving itself as a bold fusion of tradition and fashion—and a new landmark on the global style map.