Blethering Crafts: brooches

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Li-Chu Wu

Q So who is Li-Chu Wu ?

Li-Chu is a Taiwanese jewellery designer maker who based in the UK.

Q Where in the world are you from?

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan.

Untitled (Necklace – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q When did you decide to become a maker?

I trained in Jewellery Design and Making at Fu Jen Catholic University and graduated in 2006, then completed a Masters in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products at Birmingham City University in 2009. I am now working independently as a jewellery designer-maker in Design Space.

Floral (Necklace – Paper)

Q What made you choose the materials that you work with?

Multiple layered paper interests me with its subtle movement and tactile qualities. I aim to recreate the link between the material and its original source in the natural environment and intend to show the values of material itself.

Untitled (Series of Three Bangles – Paper and Sterling Silver

Q What other materials would you like to work in?

Paper, metal(silver, gold), gemstones

Q Where do you get your inspiration from?

Natural forms, processes and movement inspire her to make a collection of paper jewellery.

Landscape II (Three Brooch Series – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q What motivates you?

People who love my Jewellery, my families and friends.

Q Do you create your work in a studio base or a home base?

Both, I like to work in front of the bench and really enjoy the time while making jewellery. However working with paper needs a tidy place, therefore I always finished the paper part at home before I go into studio for my bench work.

Q Crafts in the 21^st Century – what does this mean to you?

Contemporary, chose what you like, make everything possible.

Pebbles (Nine Brooch Series – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q How do you sell and promote your work?

I sell my work in exhibition, trade/retail fair, on my website - www.lichuwu.co.uk and Esty.

Q What is your typical working day look like?

Get up at 10am, checking e-mail and work on computer, cooking, go to studio, bench work, go home at 6pm, cooking, stay late for the part of paper work, go to bed at 2pm.

Untitled (Ring – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q What is your working style?

No rules or principles.

I spend a lot of time on exploring the nature, spend a lot of time on thinking and drawing but work efficiently while sitting in front of my bench.

Untitled (Three Rings – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q 3 words of advice for an aspiring Craft artist/maker...

Be creative, be motivated, and love what you do.

Q Who is/are your favourite artist(s)/maker(s)?

Noriko Ambe

Q What music do you listen to?

Indie music

Blossom II (Brooch – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q 3 likes and dislikes?

Likes: Kings of Convenience, chocolate, my little pet

Dislikes: spring onion, things that didn’t go well as I expected, shortage of money

Untitled (Necklace – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Q What do you do to relax?

Go inline skating with my iPod

Grassland (Brooch – Paper and Sterling Silver)

Sunday, 31 October 2010

Naoko Yoshizawa

Blue Shell Necklace - Japanese paper, oxidised silver

Q So who is Naoko Yoshizawa?

I'm a jeweller, originally from Tokyo, making paper jewellery. The choice of paper stems in part from the native culture of Japan, where paper is used for a variety of crafts, from children's games through to home furnishings, such as doors. It also ties into the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, that is, the beauty of the impermanence of nature. In the West, wabi-sabi is best known through the falling of the cherry blossom, but it permeates much of our traditional culture, from haiku through to flower arrangement through to crafts.

Green Necklace - Japanese paper, thread

Q How did you decide to become a maker?

I started off as a jewellery designer: having studied at Hiko Mizuno jewellery college in Tokyo, I took a job as designer at one of the biggest selling mass-production jewellery companies in Japan. After several years, including some at the end of my time there as the sole designer in the company, I decided to move into crafts for a new challenge, using my savings to study jewellery and silversmithing at the Edinburgh College of Art, under Dorothy Hogg.

Red & Pink Necklace - Japanese paper, thread

Q Where in the world are you based?

I've stayed since 2008 in Singapore, where my husband lectures. Before that, we had a short stay in Cambridge, after leaving Edinburgh.

Red Round Paper Pendant - Japanese paper, oxidised silver

Q Do you create your work in a studio base or a home base?

In Edinburgh, I was artist in residence at ECA after completing my studies, and could use the facilities there. Since moving to Singapore with our young family, I've found it convenient just to make jewellery at home when the children are asleep!

Red Shell Necklace - Japanese paper, oxidised silver

Q Crafts in the 21^st Century – what does this mean to you?

I sincerely hope that as standards of living worldwide continue to rise over the next century, people will increasingly seek out hand crafted wares rather than solely mass produced ones, as more and more people come to enjoy having individualistic furniture, jewellery, ceramics and so on. Not that there is no role for mass production---clearly there is---but hopefully the two reach a mutually beneficial co-existence.

Leaf Shape Brooches - Japanese paper, thread,silver