Yilan Liu, design process

The collection is based on Yilan’s experience of visiting Gothic churches in Western countries. She was moved by the peaceful and powerful vibe created by the Gothic interior with space and colourful light. With the interest in the way how the vibe influences audience, the collection encapsulates the sublime internal atmospheres, exploring and skilfully exploiting Gothic structural details to stimulate the particular feelings familiar to this genre.

In the Ataraxia collection, Liu engages in the relationship between wearers and their jewellery pieces through the lens of historical European architecture. The design forms were abstracted from Gothic structures with elegant lines as well as the light, while the design details were inspired by the delicate joints of Gothic structures with elegant section shapes of columns and rib vaults. The model-making process includes casting, stone cutting, model modification, stone setting, metal finishing and gold plating. During the process, some weak structures were strengthened, some defective details were modified by hand. A few unstable structures were redesigned and recast. Synthetic gemstones were cut into unusually flat surfaces to allow their colours to cast intensely toned lights onto the skin.

The final pieces were completed in high quality in gold-plated silver and synthetic gemstones with colours inspired by stained glass windows. Sandblasting and full polish were applied into the pieces as details. Contemplative self-exploration and meditation are encouraged by the design, the jewellery acts as a media to provoke unique individual experience through playful interaction between the design and wearer.