Contemporary Jewelry for Me is like a Language. Yajing Yao interviewed with Klimt02

What's local and universal in your artistic work?
Jewelry is a sign of space from the moment we are born. Each of us has a space in this world. In my culture, grandparents will give newborn babies a longevity lock to express their blessing. They are born and come to this world. From this world, they have their name and this beautiful life. Everyone has their own world, we also get to own ourselves by being the captains of our souls. I call it space, where we become ourselves.

We have to be wise in the activities that we involve ourselves as they end up defining who we are. It’s both spiritual and precious. While some may open their world to share themselves, others are more protective. As for me, the space of separation is what drives my inspiration for doing my projects. Space facilitates in giving me a peace of mind where I get to be myself and connect with my deeper self.

I express myself by creating jewelry. As a jeweler, I am inspired by the world and the moments that I experience. Whatever experiences I go through, they create emotions in me and that is what triggers me to create jewelry pieces. Noticing things is also a source of inspiration as I am observing the environment that surrounds me. I use sterling silver wire and Argentium silver as my main material. Silver wire is a very beautiful way to form expression, for me, the design process is related to how I see, what I see and translate into metal. I mainly rely on these materials because they match all expectations.

Additionally, they evoke in me a sense of soft feel and soft touch but is quite strong. I could compare the pieces to women. Women are perceived to be vulnerable in some regards. However, we are the strongest. We are blessed with patience, humility, and tolerance. We have infinite possibilities.


What do you expect when you show your work to the public (for example, with an exhibition)?
We know that there are no two people see things in the same way. To let people describe the same scene seen under the same conditions at the same time, we will get ten different descriptions. I want to use a simple way to express complex thoughts. I hope my pieces have inclusiveness. I want to give my audience enough space to connect themselves. I hope my pieces are unique and timeless.


How important is the handmade for you in your development?
Handmade can build a special relationship with jeweler and wearer. As a jeweler, when I create something, I put all my emotions in to wire. Also handmade for me is unique, hands can create the most beautiful, natural, abstract…sense of feeling. The process tells my story, while I am weaving. It builds a space to extend my jewelry to the world, as a tiny wearable sculpture.


How important is wearability in contemporary jewellery? And in your pieces?
Contemporary jewelry, for me, is like a language. It's a smart way to communicate, to express. We have this gift from our environment, experience, and so on. If you wear a chain on the neck, lower body precisely close to the ground, the earth can be your pendant. That is the most fantastic part of why I think contemporary jewelry attracted me. The fact or potential possible is not what we see is what we imagine. The creation of jewelry is a type of artwork that means to remind us of experiences or memories that drove us into buying or creating the piece.
 

The last work, book, film, city that moved me was…
A book named Playing To The Gallery. - What do you think a contemporary artist does?  - They notice things. This quote touched me so much, and became one of my favorite answers so far. I wish I can catch every moment that touched me and put them into my work to share with viewers.


Can you describe your personality in 3 words, describe your work in 3 words.
Minimal, Abstract, Unique.