Filigree, architecture and the art of making. Interview for Romanian Jewelry Week with Yier Lu.

With an MA in Jewellery & Metal from the Royal College of Art, Yier brings architectural thinking into her jewellery practice, exploring structure, space, material and the relationship between the body and its surroundings. Her work reflects a constant interest in how physical structures can hold personal stories and emotional experiences.

Where did your passion for jewellery begin?
Looking back, I realise that making and weaving were present in my life long before I thought of jewellery as a career. When I was in primary school, I started making simple bracelets by weaving thin plastic tubes, mostly because I thought it was fun. I even sold some of them to schoolmates. Later, when I was in secondary school, I learned to make braided and beaded jewellery with my aunt, and that gradually developed my interest in making things by hand.

I then studied Architecture for my undergraduate degree. Although I enjoyed architecture, the experience made me realise that what I was most drawn to was the physical process of making,  working with materials, constructing things with my hands, and paying attention to small details.

That eventually led me to apply for the MA Jewellery & Metal programme at the Royal College of Art, which was really the beginning of my journey into jewellery. Before starting at RCA, I also went to Beijing to learn Traditional Chinese filigree. I became fascinated by the precision of the technique, the depth of its cultural history, and the way such delicate structures could be built entirely by hand. That experience made me want to continue developing the technique and, over time, find a way to make it part of my own creative language.


Yier Lu. Brooch: Emotions from Interweave series, 2026. Copper, brass, stainless steel. Photo by: Yier Lu.


What does a typical day in your studio look like?
My day usually starts quite simply, saying good morning to everyone in the studio and having a quick chat before getting started. I normally do my admin in the morning, when my brain is at its clearest. I might reply to emails, organise orders or exhibitions, or deal with other practical things. After that, I make a list of what I need to achieve that day and think through the different steps before I start making. I usually have lunch around one, take an hour to properly switch off, and then return to the studio around two. When I am making, I try not to stay at the bench for too long without moving. Every so often, I go outside, stretch, get some fresh air, and give my eyes and body a break.

I usually finish my studio day around six. I like having a clear plan, but I also leave some space for things to change once I start working with the material. For me, a productive day is not necessarily about finishing everything on my list. Sometimes it is simply about moving something forward or understanding the material a little better.


What role does architecture play in your jewellery?
Architecture has influenced not only the visual language of my work, but also the way I think. It taught me to understand why things work. When I am making jewellery, I often find myself asking very practical questions: Why does this solder joint work? How does heat move through the material? What chemical reactions are happening? How are different elements supporting or affecting each other? Understanding some of the physics, chemistry, and structural principles behind making helps me work more efficiently and gives me a better understanding of the material. It also helps me solve problems rather than simply trying to make something look right.

At the same time, architecture opened up a much wider field of visual and structural references for me. I became interested in construction, space, tension, and the relationship between individual elements and a larger structure. I think it also gave me the confidence to experiment. Rather than simply accepting the forms I already know, I feel more comfortable deconstructing them, changing their structure, and seeing what else they can become.


Yier Lu. Brooch: Emotions from Interweave series, 2026. Copper, brass, stainless steel. 


What drew you to Chinese filigree?
I grew up in Chengdu, where filigree has a long history, and my aunt had previously studied Traditional Chinese filigree. She was actually the person who first encouraged me to learn it. Before going to RCA, I had the opportunity to travel to Beijing and study the technique. I remember being completely absorbed when I was learning it. There was something very calming about the repetition and precision of the process. I could sit there for hours working on tiny details and completely lose track of time. I remember thinking, "This is my thing".

What fascinated me most was seeing how far a single technique could be pushed through patience, precision, and dedication. Looking at the work of master craftsmen and historical examples made me realise that craft can be a lifelong pursuit. That is still something I aspire to. I don't want to simply reproduce traditional filigree. I want to keep learning the technique deeply, while finding ways to combine it with my own experiences, ideas and ways of thinking.


Where do you find inspiration outside the studio?
I think the things that shape me naturally become my sources of inspiration.
I find inspiration in moments that feel very personal and belong only to me — swimming in a river, lying in a field, sitting in the sun, simply being outside and doing nothing for a while, or admiring architectural structures and designs. Those moments give me a particular sense of peace and happiness, and sometimes that feeling finds its way back into my work.

I don't always consciously look for inspiration. Sometimes it is simply something I experience and remember. My surroundings, my memories, and everyday experiences all become part of the way I think. Architecture and weaving are important influences, but so are much calmer things,  the feeling of sunlight on your skin, the movement of water, or the feeling of being completely present in a particular moment. I think those experiences are important because jewellery can carry feelings that are difficult to describe directly. Sometimes I am trying to capture a feeling rather than an image.


Yier Lu. Brooch: Emotions from Mossic Tile series, 2026. Copper, brass, stainless steel. Photo by: Yier Lu.


How does nature influence your work?
Nature somehow influences some of my designs, particularly in the way I think about structure. It reminds me that something doesn't have to be rigid to be strong. Plants, grass and branches can bend, move and adapt to their surroundings while still maintaining their overall integrity. That idea is very interesting to me when I work with fine metal wires. They are delicate individually, but when they are woven or connected together, they can create a much stronger structure. There is a similar relationship between flexibility and strength.

I am also interested in movement. A structure can be carefully ordered and controlled, but still have a sense of movement, like grass responding to the wind or branches growing in different directions. So rather than directly representing nature, I think I am more interested in bringing some of those principles into the way I construct my work, tension, flexibility, repetition, growth and connection.


What have you learned from working alongside other makers?
One of the biggest things I have learned is that there is rarely only one way to solve a making problem. Working alongside other makers has exposed me to people with completely different backgrounds, techniques, and ways of thinking. Someone might approach the same technical problem through engraving, chasing, forming, fusing, or simply a completely different sequence of making. Sometimes the most useful thing is not being given the answer, but watching how someone else thinks through a problem.

I have also learned how important it is to share knowledge. In a shared workshop, people might have their own individual benches and their own practices, but the knowledge can move freely between them. A small tip from another maker can sometimes save you hours of frustration. That generosity has become something I really value. I have benefited a lot from people sharing their knowledge with me, and it has made me want to share what I know with others too.


Yier Lu. Brooch: Emotions from Interweave series, 2026. Sterling silver, fine silver, stainless steel, Keum-Boo with 24ct gold. Photo by: Sophie Mutevelian.


What does your cultural background bring to your practice?
I think my cultural background gives me a constant sense of being between different cultures. I grew up in China and later moved to the UK to study and develop my practice. Living in these different environments has made me more aware of the different ways people understand materials, craft, objects and their cultural meanings.

Rather than choosing between these influences, I enjoy allowing them to exist together in my work. For example, I have recently been exploring the relationship between Traditional Chinese filigree and Keum-boo, a Korean gilding technique. Bringing 24ct gold into my silver filigree is partly a technical experiment, but it also reflects my own experience of moving between cultures and allowing different traditions to influence one another. I think these experiences have made me more open to combining things that might not traditionally belong together. These traditions and experiences shape my practice and contribute to a design language of my own.


What would your dream studio look like?
My dream studio would probably be somewhere in the countryside, surrounded by fields and far enough away from the noise of the city. I really enjoy being able to work quietly and concentrate without too many distractions. At the same time, I don't think I would want to work completely alone. Ideally, I would share the studio with a few jewellers or makers. We could each have our own space and work independently during the day, but have lunch together, exchange ideas and help each other when we get stuck.

I think the best studio environment is one where people respect each other's concentration but are also generous with knowledge. That is something I really appreciated about my time at Bishopsland. Everyone had their own practice and their own bench, but there was still a strong sense of community. I would love to create that kind of balance in my own studio one day, quiet enough to think, but never completely isolated.


Yier Lu. Earrings: Emotions from Interweave series, 2026. Sterling silver, fine silver, stainless steel, Keum-Boo with 24ct gold. Photo by: Yier Lu.


What do you hope people feel when they wear your work?
I hope my work can give people a sense of comfort, curiosity and belonging. For me, jewellery is quite special because it stays so close to the body. It can accompany someone through different periods of their life and gradually become part of their own story. I like the idea that a piece might begin with my own memory or experience, but once someone wears it, it can take on a completely different meaning for them.

I don't necessarily want to tell the wearer exactly what they should feel. I would rather leave enough space for the piece to become part of their own life. Perhaps they might keep it for many years, associate it with a particular person or moment, or simply enjoy the feeling of wearing it every day. I think that personal relationship between the object and the wearer is one of the most meaningful parts of making jewellery.


Yier Lu. Brooch: Emotions from Emotional Conflict series, 2026. Sterling silver, fine silver, stainless steel. Photo by: Yier Lu.


What can your hands understand that words cannot?
My hands remember things that I may not always be able to put into words. They remember the warmth of my childhood, watching my relatives weave bamboo baskets and make everyday objects by hand. They remember the rhythm of repetition, the patience of working slowly, and the feeling of being surrounded by people making things together. When I work with fine wire, I think some of those memories return through my hands, even when I am not consciously trying to recreate them.

There is something about making that allows memory to exist differently. It doesn't have to be explained or described. It can live in the movement of the hands, in the material, in repetition, and in the time spent making something. Perhaps that is what making allows me to do: to carry something from the past into the present, through material, touch and time.



From September 30 to October 4, 2026, Bucharest will host the seventh edition of Romanian Jewelry Week, Romania’s largest international event dedicated to contemporary jewellery.
More than 300 designers from over 50 countries will bring a diverse range of perspectives, practices and sensibilities from the international contemporary jewellery scene to the Romanian capital.

For the full programme, visit www.romanianjewelryweek.com
 

About the Interviewee

Yier Lu is an early-career silversmith and jeweller from south-west China, currently undertaking a residency at Bishopsland Educational Trust following her graduation from the Royal College of Art. Combining traditional Chinese filigree with architectural thinking, her practice explores structure, narrative and meticulous hand-making. Inspired by the woven bamboo craftsmanship of her childhood, she translates the language of basket weaving into contemporary jewellery, balancing fragility with strength through repetition, precision and material control. Rooted in heritage craft, Yier seeks to expand the language of filigree while preserving its cultural significance. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including Munich Jewellery Week, London Craft Week and the Israel Biennale.

Instagram: @yier_612_lu
 

About the author

Alexandra Bujenita is the PR manager of Romanian Jewelry Week team, Art developer of Creative team of Imbold Cultural Foundation, PR account at Hello Menthol.