1. Tell us about your practice and what led you down your chosen path as a maker.

My artistic journey began with painting and drawing. Studying in Wuhan and Birmingham enabled me to work with jewellery as a medium of expression. After working for a jewellery company, I decided to pursue my practice as a maker and a PhD candidate at University of Edinburgh. Now, I am engaged in both making and researching simultaneously. Viewing jewellery from a different perspective has given me a fresh understanding of both practice and material.

2. Tell us about your materials.

I work with a novel kind of enamel, combining bone ashes with traditional enamel powder to create three-dimensional shapes. When fired, the bone-enamel mixture expands and forms a foam-like structure inside, resulting in a rough stone-like texture on the surface. The firing time is critical and requires extreme precision. Each “pebble” takes many trials to achieve the desired effect.

3. Can you share more about the process behind your Collect 2024 collection?

I have developed my approach over the years by experimenting with different materials, methods, and concepts. In my recent work for Collect, I have been using this bone enamel material, creating a contrast between the smooth and the rough, the organic and the geometric, the old and the new. I hope to challenge the viewers’ perception of material, craft and design.

4. What inspired your collection for Collect 2024?

This project draws inspiration from exploring enamel as a material, combined with the essence of animal ashes. Initially, I embarked on a project exploring funeral rituals and Śarīra (bead objects found in the ashes of Buddhist Masters, symbolizing grace). This led me to experiment with crafting techniques and materials incorporating bone enamel powder.

Integrating geometric cake-like elements and vibrant colours enhances the three-dimensional quality of the material, offering a novel enamel experience.

5. Tell us about your approach to sustainable making in this work.

Sustainability plays an increasingly crucial role in our lives. A lot of the silver I utilise is sourced from my own recycled silver scraps and I believe contemporary craft can also play a significant role in conveying the meaning and thinking behind sustainability.

In this project, incorporating animal bones as a material serves the dual purpose of recycling and mitigating food waste while preventing soil pollution. However, it's essential to acknowledge that the process of producing ashes may generate harmful gases, albeit not much.

I firmly believe that such considerations prompt contemplation on how to approach sustainability more judiciously, representing a key concept I aim to communicate.

6. What do you hope the viewer will take away from this work?

This project contains many contradictory elements and unique materials. I hope the audience will be able to develop their own ideas and views, and I would love to hear their version of the story.