Zoe Chutong Huang

Often created in the context of religion, sculpture portraying women has always been filled with sexual metaphors. However, during the resurgence of the figurative style in the Renaissance, drape allowed the sculptor to conceal nude female bodies, obscuring their explicitly sexualised features whilst cultivating a gentle eroticism through the emphasis on the curves of the body, creating a bounded negative space, leaving room for reverie. For this jewellery collection, therefore, the artist has chosen to use mother-of-pearl, which is metaphorically feminine, as the raw material, which is wrapped in a metallic material that symbolises the female body beneath the drape. When worn on the human body, the jewellery allows the conceptual art form to be transferred to the wearer's perception of reality, revealing an aesthetic of the human body that transcends the design itself.

Traditionally, aesthetics has been understood as an ‘othering’ approach - it relates only to the viewer. But in contemporary society, where aesthetics have become universal, beauty is complex and varied. This jewellery collection is also about bringing the viewer's gaze back to their own body to better perceive the energy inherent in their own body through art.

Zoe Chutong Huang is a self-motivated jewellery designer who, through her own experience, has developed a broad range of interests within design that have shaped her perspective regarding the meaning of ‘jewellery’. In her work, jewellery is interpreted as a medium of communication with the human body and its emotions. It is a combination of art and many other disciplines. Her intention is to work using different materials and techniques, observing the potential for projects worn on the body to influence human interaction. She also wants to use it as an element to present timeless designs and break the usual positioning of gender roles, resulting in a less binary and more contemporary design.