It’s doubtless to say that, thanks to the ability of modern sky above our heads can often act as a source of escapism and machinery, the perceived necessity of craft-making has been in decline. Indeed, seemingly everything now from tables to clothing can be made in a factory, so what’s the point, one may conceive, in creating anything by hand? After all, automated tools possess not only the ability to manufacture things quickly but also more cheaply, so why spend so much time crafting something?
Well, as Shiqi Fu reveals to us here through her expertly hand-crafted jewellery - it’s to add meaning. Whether an object possesses some sort of meaning frequently depends, in the eyes of many, upon how it’s sourced; a process which arguably begins in the workshop within the hands of an artisan. For whilst a machine may be able to construct something, it takes a person, like Shiqi here, to inject their individual skills, passions and memories into the design process to transform that piece into a work of art, or in other words; into something meaningful.
Whilst studying at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art, Shiqi decided to try her hand at jewellery making, though, possessing a naturally meticulous eye, it wasn’t long before she had mastered the craft.
After graduating, Shiqi decided to take her jewellery- making skills and head to London where she became quickly noticed for her skills as a jeweller and it wasn’t long before she started to showcase her works across a multitude of countries. Though, whilst Shiqi’s jewellery is a source of aesthetic beauty, it’s my role here to bridge the gap between Shiqi’s understanding of her works and ours – and in doing so provide you with a greater appreciation for her dainty pieces. Shiqi’s jewellery here, in both form and colour, has been brought to life thanks to her life-long fascination with nature and particularly that of the sky. Utilising a variety of blues and whites, Shiqi constructs cloud like shapes that transport us back to a more innocent time.
Indeed, in our often-complicated adult world, the clarity; a consistent and simplistic viewpoint which imbues us with a sense of childhood wonder in a way that little else can. Shiqi however, not only looks to incite such awe through her bespoke pieces but instil her own memories within them. Like many of us when we were children for instance, Shiqi frequently dreamed of being able to play with the clouds, whether it was to reconstructor simply move through them in a manner no different to that of toying with dough or candy floss. Yet she is now able to bring such imaginings to life through her jewellery design process, whereby she is able to wrap, pierce, enclose and reshape her pieces as if they were clouds themselves. As a further embellishment, Shiqi also utilises a specific technique called press-forming to give her cloud like pieces a 3-dimensional look.
By bringing nature that much closer to viewers through her jewellery and by providing buyers with a chance to feel as if they’re interacting with it, Shiqi’s work withholds the power to evoke people to revisit and reevaluate their own relationship with the natural world - and in doing so discover their own personal sense of solace. The word ‘personal’ here is nevertheless particularly significant, because, if you’ve been reading this edition, then you by now might have come to the realisation that our memories are filled with a variety of vibrant colours.
Of course, such colours may not be entirely realistic, yet they can act as powerful tools when it comes to our understanding of our own individual journey through life. Shiqi for instance adds colour to her jewellery, using the likes of high-quality enamels and spray paints, based upon the shades of the sky as she remembered it as a child. Though, whilst it might be well worth me having talked about it here, it’s now up to you to complete the journey, and experience such emotions these pieces have the power to evoke for yourself, by visiting Shiqi’s works on her social media today.
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