Cindy Chao’s Single-Piece Exhibition, and More
FRANCESCA FEARON –
Scmp.com South China Morning Post Magazine / Style
Michelle Yeoh loves high jewellery brooches – and so do men at Sotheby’s: from Cindy Chao’s single-piece exhibition, to Cartier and Tiffany & Co.’s modern twists on tradition, wearable art is officially in
Jewellery artist Cindy Chao in September staged an exhibition at the Long Museum in Shanghai devoted to just one jewel. The displays shed light on Chao’s epic five-year creative process that culminated in the exquisite Amour Butterfly Brooch that marks the 10th annual creation in her Black Label Masterpieces series.
Made for client friends, a couple, the butterfly features an elongated type IIa marquise-cut diamond set into ox horn, with two large Colombian emeralds and numerous diamonds in the undulating titanium wings, shaped to be appreciated from every angle. From sculpting in wax to casting, polishing, matching the gemstones and finally, setting them, the creation took 15,000 hours of dedicated work.
This museum-calibre brooch illustrates the artistry invested in a jewel that can be worn on a lapel or a dress. The creator admits to a fondness for brooches: “My creative process starts with wax sculpting, which makes my works as highly sculptural and three-dimensional as I envision,” says Chao. “Earrings, necklaces and bracelets all have specific shape restrictions, whereas brooches offer me a greater scope for creative expression.”
Tap here for the complete feature!
