LDF2024 Alloy - Crafting New Realities

Symbiotic Creativity and Cultural Fusion

Alloy showcases the individual and collective works of emerging artists who are reimagining, challenging, and expanding the notion of craft-making through innovative approaches. The collection illustrates the relevance of symbiotic relationships between the poetic and the linguistic, realism and surrealism, fluidity and statics, trauma and intimacy, and the cross-fertilisation of cultures through objects, jewellery, and textiles. 

What is it

Alsolike is a multi-brand boutique specialising in jewellery and objects dedicated to creating a connection between art objects and everyday life. With a focus on craftsmanship, materials, structure and texture, the shop discovers and supports independent designer brands with an elegant and unique style that aims to be a filter for customers when choosing jewellery, accessories and homeware.

These contemporary craft-makers explore hybrid concepts and cross-cultural intersections using various means of expression. Alloy is evidence of the interplay of dialogue through material and proposes alternative approaches in contemporary craft-making.

The exhibition consists of two parts:

Part One  features individual and collaborative works by resident artists of the Glasgow School of Art, representing the new wave of talent in British academia. Works among these artists bridge disciplines through shared techniques, creating dialogues between materials and forms and providing referential methods for contemporary craft-making.

Part Two consists of contemporary jewellery and metalwork invited and recommended by the Royal College of Art. These works focus on the traditional cultural aesthetics and connotations behind craftsmanship, innovatively practising the many possibilities of combining traditional crafts with emerging technologies. They provide a platform for the encounter and debate between traditional and contemporary applied arts.

Alloy will present a dialogue space created by the artist groups from two of the UK's top art institutions. Alloy not only refers to the dynamic relationships presented through the interaction of mixed materials and experimental expressions in the artworks but also symbolises the deep exploration of cross-cultural intersections and integration concepts. This exhibition aims to showcase the diversity of methods and innovative developments in craft media from an international perspective, exploring the multifaceted differences and harmonious resonances of craft culture in a contemporary context. 

When is it

13th September - Private View

18:00 - 21:00

14th September - 22nd September

10:30 - 18:30

What to expect

Artists:

Alice Biolo

Hailing from Italy, Alice started her study in Jewellery design at the Liceo Pietro Selvatico in Padova. After her diploma she moved in Scotland (UK), where she further pursued the Silversmithing and Jewellery design course at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating with a BA (hons) in June 2023. Alice has been exploring the theme of pain, trauma, insecurities through her collections for the past year to spread awareness about mental health and open a conversation with the public, with the aim of normalised human emotions. The predominant characteristic of her creations lies in their simplicity and the absence of adornments on the front. The designs remain concealed on the back, eschewing any overt symbolism for the public and fostering an intimate connection solely with the wearer.

Caius Bearder

Caius was born in Guernsey, and was fascinated by small objects and making from an early age. Living on an island, he was drawn to the coast, especially to the unusual and beautiful flora, fauna and geography of beaches and cliffs.

After a period of time working with local jewellery Catherine Best, Caius studied Silversmithing and Jewellery (BA Hons) at Glasgow School of Art (GSA), during which time he discovered silversmithing as a creative medium. Drawn towards larger scale work and keen to develop his practice at a postgraduate level, Caius became a Fellow of Bishopsland Educational Trust after a year long residency.

Caius is currently an Artist in Resident at the GSA, where he is continuing to develop new designs and pieces of jewellery and silversmithing for commissions and sales. He is currently focussing on the use of hand engraving to create dynamic reflection in metal surfaces, to mimic the constant flow and motion of the ocean surface.

Yitong Zhang

Yitong Zhang is an object maker. Before studying for an MA at the Royal College of Art, in 2020 she graduated from the Glasgow School of Art with a first-class honours Bachelor’s degree, also travelling for an academic exchange to the California College of the Arts. Yitong has won the New Designers: Goldsmiths’ Company Silversmithing Award, Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Award, and the Behrens Foundation Bursary Award, has been nominated for the Outstanding Student of the Year Award, and others, and participated in multiple international exhibitions such as London Craft Week, Beijing Design Week, the Beijing International Jewellery Art Exhibition, the China International Contemporary Metal Art Exhibition, and the Itami International Jewellery Exhibition in Japan. In September 2021, Yitong also held a transdisciplinary exhibition, ‘Jewellery is a Poem’, in Beijing, in which she collaborated with six well-known Chinese poets. 

Yitong’s current practice focuses on the exploration and discussion of the properties and state of craft within a digital object-making context through an intertextual method of creation between poetry and objects. In the future, Yitong aims to experiment with the strategy of ‘Craft + X’, seeking more possibilities in the interactions between craft and industry.

Amy Findlay

Amy Findlay graduated in 2022 from The Glasgow School of Art, her approach to body adornment challenges our perception of reality. Through her designs, she seamlessly integrates elements from everyday life into wearable art, blurring the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary. By incorporating familiar objects and motifs, Amy encourages us to pause and examine the beauty in the little things that often go unnoticed. Her jewellery prompts a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of our everyday surroundings, reminding us to find joy and wonder in the simplest of moments. In a world that often feels fast-paced and disconnected, Amy's pieces serve as tangible reminders of the inherent artistry that exists in our everyday lives.

Niamh Wright

“Felicity: the ability to find appropriate expression for one’s thoughts” is a contemporary novel delving into the inner workings of Niamh Wright's mind when overwhelmed by emotions. The body of work is generated from painting and drawing exaggerated shapes inspired by needlework and hand-weaving processes as a form of self-soothing. Throughout this project, she explored the boundaries of combining different materials to represent the feelings she experiences. By laser cutting acrylics as a base to support the detailed mother-of-pearl shapes, she merges them together with neon threads, embellishments of silver, and hand-woven wire objects to create a fusion of vivid, complex structures.

She explored the history of needlework and its attachment to femininity, questioning the reality of what needlework does for women. She discovered that it is a tool for communication and generating a space to think freely. It helps build relationships, bonding people through conversations held within its space; it creates a place of safety and peace to figure out the ways of life. This exploration is blended into her degree collection to celebrate the beauty of free thinking while trying to understand her emotions and identity within the 21st century.

Anita Sarkezi

Anita Sarkezi's textile design practice is motivated and informed by her Slavic cultural background. Her work is grounded in the interwoven histories of rural material culture and post-colonialism in Central and Eastern Europe, where she questions the traditional use of floral patterns as national symbols. 

Her practice explores the relationship between organic and geometric shapes. Using the TC2 digital loom, Sarkezi constructs an imaginary space consisting of personal ornaments and motifs, as well as bold and gradient uses of colour. This serves as a visual metaphor for the flux of movement and migration and an outlet for her personal narrative as a migrant.

Lucy Johnson

Lucy Johnson's artistic practice derives from her appreciation of the captivating interplay between contrasting materials and the surrounding environment. Her collection, “For The Love Of Concrete,” is a homage to brutalist architecture, encompassing both wearable and sculptural objects. Within her work, she uses photography as a primary tool for exploration, allowing her to visually dissect the construction techniques of brutalist buildings in Glasgow and the North of England. Through analysis of her images, she has transformed the characteristics of these buildings into pieces of hand-held architecture.

Huimin Zhang

Huimin's works of art may save her at some point in her life. They are some moments from childhood; some memories about innocence. 

When she created this series of works, her mind was full of the smell of childhood and the little things of childhood. Before making it, she didn't imagine what it would look like after it was finished. Human just recall fragments of childhood life: She lay in the shade of a secret tree for a comfortable lunch break; She found a small flying insect as green as a fairy in the cellar for the first time; her face was wrinkled by an unknown wild fruit... ...just one piece after another. These childhood memories guided her to complete the whole work unconsciously. When Human raised her head and looked at the whole work, it was really like a fragment of time with smell, light, and even sound condensed in front of her.

Dixin Zheng

Dixin Zheng (b.2001) is a jewellery designer and contemporary artist who concentrates on developing proficiency in various modern approaches and traditional silversmithing techniques, including laser welding, raising, chasing and repoussé. Her works not only have formal closeness to sculptures, but also express the poetic of mundane life. Dixin primarily focused on crafting jewellery pieces during her undergraduate studies at Central Saint Martins and immersed herself in the fundamentals of silversmithing at Royal College of Art. Dixin’s works reflect her constant observation and elaboration of the surroundings, allowing audiences to perceive and resonate by different engaging approaches.

Xuan Xu

Xuan Xu, a contemporary jewellery artist, creates work that is a confluence of engineering precision and artistic exploration. With a background in Materials Science Engineering from China University of Geosciences and a Master of Arts in Jewellery & Metal from the Royal College of Art, Xuan brings a unique technical perspective to the realm of jewellery design.

Continual innovation is key in Xuan's journey as an artist, exploring new materials and techniques to create jewellery that challenges perceptions and enriches the human experience. Xuan's work is a testament to the endless possibilities within the world of jewellery, where the fusion of technology and art can create pieces that are not only beautiful but also profoundly meaningful.

Ruiyi Wang 

Ruiyi Wang is a Shanghainese artist and maker based in London. Her artistic practice is characterised by innovation, humour, and a profound fascination with everyday objects. Motivated by a persistent interest in applied art, Ruiyi completed her BA in Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martin’s (UAL) before pursuing her MA in Jewellery & Metal at the Royal College of Art. Her experiences also include working on fashion jewellery for designer brands in Shanghai and exhibiting her contemporary artwork in London and Munich.

Yike Duan

Yike is a creative contemporary jewelry artist who recently graduated from the Royal College of Art. She also holds a certification as an NGTC Diamond Grader and is a seasoned senior jewelry designer and jeweler. Yike brings a wealth of experience and profound expertise to the field of jewelry design. Her inspiration stems from a keen observation of everyday materials, which she transforms into artistic expressions, with a special emphasis on innovative applications of sustainable materials.

Yike's work showcases her deep understanding and ingenious use of materials, reflecting her strong commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development. By converting sustainable materials into unique jewelry pieces, she challenges traditional aesthetic norms while promoting environmental awareness. 

Machi de Waard

Machi creates modernist silver and gold jewelry at her studio in Reading, Berkshire, where she has been working for more than 15 years. From January 2010 to December 2011, she served as Jeweller in Residence at South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell. In 2021, the book she co-authored with fellow jeweller Janet Richardson, titled “Silver Jewellery Making,” was published by the award-winning craft publisher Search Press. Combining her studio practice with teaching, Machi teaches jewelry making in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Her work is regularly exhibited in galleries and exhibitions across the UK.

Yating (Yuan) Xie

Yating (Yuan) Xie (b. 1999) is an artist and jeweller from China. Her practice focuses on the dynamic relationship between people and objects. She extends the wrinkles of aging into a new approach that resists smooth and brand-new surfaces, thereby exploring the shortcomings of modernity through a sensory perspective.

During her studies at the Royal College of Art (RCA), she focused on the process of aging and the objectification of the elderly. Through anthropomorphism, she reconstructs the isomorphic resonance between the body and objects, transforming the sensation of aging into a series of interactive works that foster empathy among different groups through participation.

Chongshan Feng

Chongshan Feng(b. 2000) is an artist and maker from China. Influenced by childhood experiences of migration and life in factories, Chongshan’s work often revolves around the body, manufacturing products, and marginal landscapes. She creates jewellery and objects, finding these mediums intimately connected to the body to be her optimal choice.

Chongshan’s recent research focuses on the surfaces of objects. Drawing upon the concept of “texture mapping” from the modeling process, she examines the separation of material identity and surface in reality, along with the instability of their identities. 

Kexin (Kristy) Wen

Kexin Wen is a contemporary art jeweller and artist from Shenzhen, China. She is interested in exploring the relationship between wearable or craft objects and the human body. After completing a BA in Material Art and Design at Ontario College of Art and Design University, she decided to pursue an MA degree at the Royal College of Art to further develop her theme of the body by using the visual language of jewellery and metal.

In her exploration of the relationship between jewellery and the body, she has found the symbol of water resonates deeply with her artistic vision. She is now engaged in ongoing research on the dynamics between the body, space, and human interaction.

Meishuo Liu

As a jeweller and illustrator, Meishuo Liu explores the boundaries of jewellery with playfulness as the cornerstone. Seeing herself as a mirror, she captures the intersections between the outside world and her inner emotions, embodying these intersections in her work in the form of jewellery. Handcrafting is her area of expertise, and she is dedicated to expanding the potential applications of natural materials in jewelry design. The integration of traditional craftsmanship with innovative design is essential for her ongoing development.

Yujia Zhang

Yujia Zhang (b.2001) received her undergraduate degree in Jewellery from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and her postgraduate degree in Jewellery and Metals from the Royal College of Art. She is a contemporary jewellery artist. Her works always revolve around cross-cultural, cognitive differences and emotional identity. She specialises in documenting the absent spaces in life that are easily overlooked, and establishing a sense of storytelling and exclusive environments through which she explores the materials and objects involved in creating her work. Her work encourages viewers to consider how implicit culture shapes our experiences and environments.

Xiaoqing Rong

Born and raised in Beijing, Xiaoqing Rong is an alumna of Pratt Institute, where she earned a B.F.A. in Jewellery with a minor in Fashion in 2021. She is advancing her studies with an M.A. in Jewellery and Metal at the Royal College of Art.

The solitude that permeated her previous work finds its echo in the silent spaces where the physical world fails to touch the digital realm. In her graduation collection, Split Failed, The Objects May Not Intersect, she explores digital failures through handcrafted and digitally modelled sculptures, engaging with the ethereal boundaries of our digital existence. These boundaries, though invisible, are insurmountable. Her work seeks to capture the essence of this dichotomy, inviting wearers to contemplate the paradox of our age: our interactions in a world where the digital and physical strive to converge but remain eternally separated.

Yuqian Ma

Yuqian is a contemporary jewellery artist specializing in the design and carving of natural stones. She continuously explores the unique characteristics of natural stones, their combination with metals and other materials, and their potential applications in jewelry design.
Her creative inspiration derives from observing the absurdities and perplexing behaviors of daily life. She believes that perhaps absurdity is intrinsic to human nature, and living purely by reason alone is truly absurd. According to her, morality, rules, and societal norms constrain our ‘absurd’ nature. Arrows always point in one direction, and people are accustomed to following them, yet their lives are not confined to a single path; they can be absurdly diverse.

Qianyu Liu

Qianyu Liu is a Chinese artist whose works often focus on concepts and how to better respond to social phenomena, exploring the use of visual forms to reflect the nature of abstract things. She focuses on unconventional forms of widespread violence, hoping to reflect on the harmful effects of symbolic violence through the form of everyday interactive jewellery, and through the interactive experience to reflect on the immense invisible harm that symbolic violence can do to the mind. Through the interactive experience, she reflects on the immense invisible damage that symbolic violence can do to the heart. This project is an innovative exploration of interactive jewellery on the theme of symbolic violence, exploring forms of detailed sexual violence that most people find sensitive but important, questioning the value of the appearance of the jewellery.

Yirui Deng

Yirui Deng is a jewellery artist who was graduated from RMIT BA Gold and silver smithing and MA Jewellery and Metal in RCA. Yirui’s passion lies in the exploration of cross-disciplinary approaches within the realm of jewellery and metal practice such as technology, music, and sustainability to create innovative and meaningful pieces for wearing. She believes that it is a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible within the context of jewellery.

In the series of works “Improvisation”, Yirui Deng explores the interplay of sound and vision through jewelry, transforming life’s rhythms into spontaneous melodies. Her work encourages an appreciation for the beauty of random everyday moments and their harmonious echoes, just like a jazz improvisation.

Youyang Zhao

Youyang Zhao’s practice is deeply rooted in a passionate exploration of hammering as a technique for shaping metal. Youyang’s research focuses on asymmetrical vessels, emphasizing the subtle differences between various metal materials. Through attentive observation of the nuanced changes in metal sheets, Youyang has learned how these materials respond to the hammering process.

Youyang views these vessels as miniature sculptures, skillfully examining and shaping curves from multiple perspectives in an effort to capture the harmony of asymmetry and balance within geometric forms and delicate hues. To maintain the handcrafted aesthetic, the artist deliberately preserves a certain roughness and imperfection, incorporating intentional flaws into meticulously hammered curves, which evoke a sense of organic beauty.

Ling Yin Shum

Ling Yin’s work explores the intersection of art, design, and healing, transforming everyday objects into catalysts for personal introspection and emotional well-being. By integrating kinetic structures, mirrored illusions, and interactive elements, she invite viewers to experience multiple perspectives and possibilities. Drawing inspiration from quantum mechanics and four-dimensional spaces, her creations goal has been to craft pieces that inspire individuals to embrace the healing potential within themselves and the world around them. Each piece is crafted to foster reflection, connection, and transformation, aiming to resonate on a deeply personal level and serve as therapeutic tools for emotional and psychological growth.

Yizhuo Xue

Xiaoxiao Zheng

Xiaoxiao Zheng, a jewelry designer, seeks to create a series of works that delve into memory and personal connections through her creations. Drawing inspiration from her own recollections, she is fascinated by the enduring bonds people have with their past and the ways in which memories are preserved. Recognizing the significance of color in capturing memories, Zheng employs a thoughtful combination of color, shape, and material to evoke these cherished experiences.

Her works go beyond mere pictorial documentation, offering an artistic exploration that engages the viewer in the deep emotions and personal perspectives that shape our lives. Through her designs, Zheng invites others to connect with the memories and emotions that define their own journeys.

Dianrui Fu

Dianrui Fu, an artist, centers her work around the intricate aspects of life and expresses these profound details through the language of art. She believes that art cannot exist separately from life. Dianrui utilizes metal as a medium to showcase how she observes and deconstructs our urban and domestic environments, exploring the mutual influence between human behaviors, specific spaces, and particular journeys. She views the traces left behind by objects as evidence of their existence and the events that have taken place.

Her works invite the audience to engage with these traces as if they are touching a part of the past. Through these traces, a special bond can be formed, enabling a unique form of communication that transcends logical time and space.

Yutong Liu’s works combine traditional Chinese culture with jewelry, incorporating the concept of “Wuyou Garden” into jewelry making. She believes that disrupted texts still hold infinite narrative possibilities, as individuals interpret these poetic texts differently based on their own thought patterns. She hopes the audience can rearrange them in their mind according to their own ideas, guiding them to discover their own “Wuyou Garden” within, where they can freely imagine and explore endless possibilities.

Morvarid Alavifard

Morvarid is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in the UK. She works primarily with silversmithing and jewellery-making. Her work reflects her experiences as an Iranian woman, exploring the intricate relationship between human senses and objects, particularly touch.

Born in Tehran, Morvarid Alavifard studied MA Jewellery and Metalwork at the RCA with the Behrense foundation bursary scholarship. She graduated with first-class honour with BA in Jewellery and Objects from Birmingham City University. And Her background is in architecture and music. Through her metalwork, Morvarid challenges conventional notions of material value and experiences. 

Xiaoyu Li (Sho-Woo Lee)