Sau-Lun Yeung is a multidisciplinary artist who merges traditional silversmithing and jewellery-making techniques with found objects and bio-materials to create contemporary jewellery and objects.
His research project, “Cabinet of Symbiosities,” investigates the relationship between the UK and British Hong Kong through experimental practices that blend scientific inquiry with jewellery art. Starting with his collection of found objects in London, he discovered that many found objects like specimens and ceramics bear colonial symbols and are not originally from the UK.
To investigate these narratives, Lun began growing crystals and mycelium on found objects like insect specimens, blurring their identities. The crystallized insects are incorporated into designs inspired by the British Hong Kong Coat of Arms, exploring themes of colonialism and parasitism through the transformation of these materials.
Lun recently graduated from the Jewellery and Metal program at the Royal College of Art. His award-winning collection, “Cabinet of Symbiosities,” was showcased at @theforgespace, @cluster__contemporaryjewellery, @handwerkdesign_muc, @munichjewelleryweek , and he has been invited to join @thesocietyofbritishjewellers.
Founded in 2011, his artisan jewellery brand, @Thepolskatraveller, originated in Hong Kong. His work has been exhibited internationally in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Through my study and current practice, I apply traditional silversmithing and jewellery-making techniques to found objects and bio-materials, creating contemporary jewellery and objects infused with the idea of symbiosis. Cabinet of Symbiosities is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Cabinet of Curiosities, which historically showcased collections of art and scientific objects.
My research, Cabinet of Symbiosities, explores Crystallisation and Mycelium Growth as
narratives of Colonialism and Parasitism. These transformative processes serve as metaphors to dissect the dynamics of these complex relationships. The characteristics of crystallisation and mycelium growth parallel historical and symbiotic interactions, creating a dialogue that transcends the boundaries between the human and natural worlds.
Cabinet of Symbiosities is a study of place, time, politics, and culture. The use of crystallisation and mycelium growth as metaphors for colonialism and parasitism offers a compelling framework. From my perspective as part of this generation of Hongkongers who moved to the UK from Hong Kong, my experiences reflect a unique and nuanced manifestation of shifting geopolitics, the legacy of past colonisation, and the contemporary assertion of new power structures.
Throughout the research, there is a considered use of original materials that build on existing narratives. These materials include food color from China, golden reishi mycelium originally from East Asia and subcultured in the UK, precious gemstones found in Hong Kong, American hardwood, and Ethiopian Arabica coffee grounds. Although most of these materials are not originally from the UK, they have become locally available over the years. Each element serves to distort and overtake these found objects, creating various interactions.
Some materials exist in symbiosis, living together harmoniously, while others overtake,
deconstruct, and reconstruct each other. These material relationships provide depth and
context to the overarching themes of colonialism and parasitism, illustrating the complex and intertwined nature of these phenomena.
(5 voturi, medie: 4.20 din 5)Trebuie să fii membru înregistrat pentru a evalua asta.
Loading...