Jewelry Gives People far More than just Visual Enjoyment. Interview with Qiang Li 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?
My background is Industrial Design, exploring how design can improve lives and change the world. After 7 year’s product design experience I realized I would like to express more of myself, rather than the external world in my practice. Since I was a child I have been very fond of jewelry, Jewelry design is similar to product design but it is more flexible and variable in terms of way of expression and art form, which is the reason why I find it so attractive.


How important is networking for you in your professional practice and what are your preferred tools for this?
I find it is very important because you can uncover opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise know about. Mainly face-to-face conversation but social media is becoming more and more important to make new connections. 
 

What are your general thoughts on the contemporary jewellery world, (education, market, development...), where do you see chances and where are dead ends?
I used to think of jewelry as shiny gems or expensive metals, but as I began to know more about it and developed an interest in it, I found that all existing materials can be used in different ways to form a piece of unique and contemporary jewelry. After studying for my second MA at the Royal College of Art in the UK, this interest has become more and more intense with the in-depth study of design and making. Jewelry gives people far more than just visual enjoyment, but the chance to express something and tell a story through materials. Contemporary jewelry education tends to focus on the concept and the ideas behind it to break the barriers of culture and established forms of expression to explore the meaning of "contemporary". There are many possibilities and opportunities in this world, jewelry is at the intersection of art and design, and as an expression of art, it is also closely related to products, luxury goods, and commerce.


Thinking about your career, what role do technology and the digital play in your artistic development & communication?
Because of my background in industrial design, I was already trained in digital design media, so it has always been part of my artistic practice. I have further increased my use of digital technology by using 3D printing and other computer aided manufacturing technology.


How has your work changed over the past few years and what are you excited about these days?
Over the past few years, my practice has changed from industrial design to jewelry design because that is my real passion. Jewelry has become the prime medium through which I can express myself artistically.