Yuqing - Global Design Graduate Show Award
Yuqing (China)
Designer biography:
Yuqing is a jeweller from China. Their knowledge of jewellery originates from the family business that has been run since their parents. From birth, they have been exposed to classic commercial jewellery. When Yuqing was a child, they were deeply influenced by the exquisite craftsmanship of commercial jewellery and the rigorous production process of the factory. They began to study in a business school in the United States in 2015. They mainly studied economics, finance, management and so on. But at the same time, they also felt strongly inspired by the huge cultural and aesthetic differences between China and the United States. They began to frequently browse major museums and galleries, trying to gain insight into art from its history and popularity.
They gained admission to the Royal College of Art in MA Fashion, MA Jewellery and Metal in 2020, and finally completed a Masters degree in Jewellery and Metal in 2022, with a Merti grade for their academic thesis. Their work was exhibited in the exhibition "Cultural Affairs" in the Grassi Museum Leipzig.
Yuqing has now established their own brand in China and named it "无又 WU U", a minimalist jewellery brand inspired by the philosophy of the "Tao" . After exploring digital jewelry and handmade jewelry at the same time, Yuqing really returned to the essence of jewellery, eager to discover more possibilities of jewelry discipline from the perspective of materials, craftsmanship, and consumerism.
Awards:
Highly Commended Awards of Theo Fennell & Royal College of Art Design Competition 2021
Global Design Graduate Show 2022 Shortlist
Collection concept:
The focus of Yuqing's work is ‘anti-digitisation’. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing almost everyone on the planet to learn to survive in the world of the Internet. Digital art, virtual universes, and artificial intelligence have built a world in which humans can access everything as long as they have digital devices.
Yuqing also tried to use artificial intelligence and a parametric design process to generate jewellery pieces in the first year of their MA at RCA. But the emptiness that followed made them reflect. Can virtual art really bring you satisfaction? Or are you just forcing yourself to learn this software in order to keep up with the fashion? When doubts started to arise in their mind, they tried to change. If traditional craftsmanship were used to create a piece of jewellery that existed on a phone/computer screen, what would it look like? What if the pictures on a mobile phone actually existed in real life? What if humans really lived in a flat world with only XY axes?
Starting from this concept, Yuqing created three series of works:
A Flat Ring, the prototype for which comes from a signet ring they designed many years ago.
A Flat Engagement Ring; the prototype for this is the most popular 6-prong setting engagement ring style in the contemporary jewellery market that Yuqing obtained from the image material online.
A Flat Bracelet, the prototype for which can be found on the official website of the Palace Museum https://www.dpm.org.cn/home.html with the Design of Nine Dragons Playing with Pearls, Qing Dynasty).
