VIA HONG KONG
International Contemporary Jewellery Fair
at JOYA Barcelona
To celebrate its third anniversary, Ame Gallery takes Hong Kong contemporary jewellery to another level. “Via Hong Kong” will be the Gallery’s debut exhibition at JOYA – the international contemporary jewellery fair in Barcelona, Spain. It will feature works of Hong Kong jewellery artists and designers who are based here and aboard.
The exhibition is curated by Anna Cheng, founder of Ame Gallery and Dr. Cicy Ching, lecturer of Faculty of Visual Art, Hong Kong Baptist University. It is a collective effort to bring Hong Kong contemporary jewellery to the world’s stage.
Hong Kong, being a gateway to China and the world, is a melting pot of cultures and the city forms a unique character that affects the people who are connected with it. The artists featured in “Via Hong Kong” come from different backgrounds. Some of them are currently living and working in Hong Kong, while others lived here at some point in their lives. Through this exhibition, Ame Gallery aims to demonstrate how Hong Kong has nurtured some contemporary jewellery talents.
The concepts of some of the works presented at the exhibition have touched on various issues that are close to the heart of Hong Kong people. Cicy Ching’s “Fragility of City” explores the relationships and pace of living in this metropolis. Chan Po Fung’s “The Chinese dream of train” illustrates how people are forced to behave under the current political environment. The concept of beauty being perceived by women in the city is explored in Cherry Chan’s “Peculiar Extension”. These ideas make their works unique to Hong Kong, yet they also resonate universally.
As one of the few galleries in Hong Kong that specializes in contemporary jewellery, Ame Gallery aims to raise awareness of contemporary jewellery, widen the audience base and facilitate a healthy eco-system of this specialized art form in Hong Kong.
Anna Cheng said, “We curate ‘Via Hong Kong’ to showcase the great works of Hong Kong’s local artists. Since it is Ame Gallery’s third anniversary, we also want to take this opportunity to unite the contemporary jewellery community in Hong Kong, which includes some dedicated artists, educators and supporters. We believe through working together, we can create a healthy environment for this art form to blossom in this city. By bringing the exhibition to JOYA, we hope to encourage more artistic and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the world.”
Mary Lee Hu Mary Lee Hu, the renowned American jewellery artist, is known for using textile techniques to create intricate woven wire jewellery. Her unique signature of weaving metals has been widely recognized by the superior use of technique and its beauty. Because of her connection with some family members in Hong Kong, Mary has been a constant visitor to this city since 1972. She has witnessed the development of contemporary jewellery in around China,Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Kee Ho Yuen In this piece “Time Out”, he just wants to comment on the fact that making tough decisions is part of life. Like it or not, we have to take our time to work on it.
It is the Buddhism I Respect and the Catholicism I Embrace, 2012 Tricia Tang’s jewellery practice reflects the intimate relationship, individual indentities and cultural permutations that have resulted from her experiences. Her work blends past (occurrence) with present (contemporary materials) to produce distinctive narrations.
Pilz AY Thanks to optical fibres, our world is no longer the same. Time, place and distance are never any boundaries anymore. Our thoughts and ideas travel along these illuminating fibres and reach out. However, instead, shall we take these strands of light as a starting point, and reconnect ourselves with each other again?
Ching Sze Yin, Cicy These pieces are an exploration of city living, with a focus on the fragility of the relationships and the pace of city living. City ever changing, flooded with information, and full of anxiety. People living in a city often have very indifferent and detached relationship with each other, and with the city.
Hugo Yeung His work crosses between contemporary studio jewellery and large scale domestic and sculptural like objects. He produces structures defined by a clear aesthetic. His personal interpretation of these objects is to emphase the beauty of form which is developed with mathematic process with the balance of visual value. The beauty of the objects is created by the simplicity of the lines, geomatric form and strucure. The overall intention is to create a sense of relaxation of harmony.
Pinky Wong I am always fascinated by the intimacy embedded in hand knitted items in terms of body interaction and human relationship to both the creator and the receiver. Through interpreting this stitches by stitches intimacy in my jewellery, I am trying to deliver the close relationship between craft and human body so as to create a different experience to the wearer on their bodies and to give new perspective on the traditional handcraft.
Cissy Chan I think that the interaction between people is more precious than the intrinsic value in jewellery. So, I used toothpicks, a daily object, to create a series of playful jewellery. Its form can be changed by the wearer. Since jewellery is a portable object, it is easy for the wearer to share with others too. These series of jewellery then become an object to connect me with the wearer and the audiences. I believe that jewellery can be a means to bring people together.
Cherry Chan Nowadays, women like to do nail “enhancement” by adding peculiar extensions or putting on fashionable accessories. Do these “enhancement works” beautify the body or hinder daily work? Will women look pretty after complying with this rule of beauty or look clumsy?
Chan Po Fung Just after becoming party chief in late 2012, Xi Jinping announced what would become the hallmark of his administration. ”The Chinese Dream,” he said, is “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” As to make sure people move on swiftly and efficiently, we are installed with machines guiding our movements and limiting our actions.
Victor Wong It is about imagination. It is about games. It is about rules.
Rosette, Chan Wing Lam Re-examining how material and its appearance interact, I realise how lives inter-relate to each other. My work is inspired by the foundational law of nature. Overcoming one's weaknesses by acquiring others' strengths, and aims to give the unwanted objects their new values and lives.
Cathy Wang Cathy Wang’s design process takes inspiration from her home city Hong Kong, Which captures the vast intensity of population. Since moving to Scotland, lifestyle in the city seems foreign to her. The intensity and contradiction of people in the city is the reason why Cathy strives to find the balance between simplicity and intensive elements within her designs.
Bella Mung Most of my works are rooted in my personal history which are questioning 'what jewellery is', 'why is jewellery' and 'what it could be'. I am particular interested in using different kinds of materials combination to explore the full potential of jewellery.
Gloria Ng It inspires its wearers to look at the forgotten parts and the neglected spaces around our bodies by giving instructions to how to wear it. Being a bespoke piece as well as fashionable accessories, Wear it __________ seeks to become the medium to investigate the human bodies, adding a touch of glamour along the way and fitting seamlessly with any latest trendy outfits.