I believe that jewellery has more potential than I imagined before. Interview with Fenghua Ye by Klimt02

Tell us about your background. What were your first influences to be creative and become an artist and what has drawn you to contemporary jewellery?
The first influence is a bead. I liked every shining thing when I was a little girl. Then, this kind of interest grows up becoming the love of traditional jewellery.
My favourite type of jewellery is a hidden mystery, such as the day-and-night design and so on. Therefore, I choose jewellery design without hesitation. After I began my studies, the unconstrained style of contemporary jewellery changes my mind that jewellery should not be limited by a specific form including materials, shapes, presenting methods and so on. Contemporary design is more creative just like my personality and I don't like to be defined by others. It's hard to say if it’s my unfettered personality that drew me finally choose creative contemporary jewellery or if the contemporary concept woke my creative soul up. Naturally, I built up my personal development habit and design style during a long time of practice.


How important is networking for you in your professional practice and what are your preferred tools for this?
Networking is indispensable for me especially in artist research because it is impossible to find all information from physical research, such as museums, exhibitions and so on. But if possible, I prefer doing the exhibition because it is easier to communicate with the designer and visit the design omnidirectionally. Also, if I‘m the exhibitioner, it is a good way to collect the audience's opinions to improve myself.
 
 
What are your general thoughts on the contemporary jewellery world, (education, market, development...), where do you see chances, and where are dead ends?
Some people's thoughts are difficult to break through some inherent and preconceived design concepts, for example, some artists believe that jewellery design only should follow the traditional way. I made the same mistake until I recognized that I need to think more critically about contemporary jewellery. Because the most important thing is contemporary instead of only focusing on the jewellery itself. The key to the world is guiding the young generation to find out ‘Contemporary', walk forward 'Contemporary' and finally engage with 'Contemporary '. It also brings about new vitality into the contemporary market. In other words, sticking to established practice may walk to the end of 'Contemporary'.
 

Thinking about your career, what role do technology and the digital play in your artistic development & communication?
Technology and digital are such amazing tools to explore the crafts world. Most of my designs are geometric, which is hard to do by hand because they need to be done accurately. The digital technicians help me to do the etching, laser cutting and laser engraving efficiently and more easily. Also, technology gives me the chance to mass-produce my design. It will help to decrease the cost and development time.


How has your work changed over the past few years?
In the last few years, my life was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a double-edged sword. On the negative side, the three quarters' time of my master's course was in lockdown. The studio was closed during the lockdown which hindered me from using the traditional metalsmith to explore the development. But from the positive side, it also excited and pushed me to think about the significance of jewellery again. Should jewellery just be a decoration, or could it be present in more forms? Should the jewellery be designed for the wearing function or it could be a special interactive toy to bring about fun during the hard lockdown period? I believe that jewellery has more potential than I imagined before. I follow my doubt and try to accomplish and prove it step by step.