Barbara Yixuan Wei

Two strings of wood-carved pearls connected to each other with two hooks in the middle of each string representing the hangers.

Barbara/Yixuan (b.1999) is a jewellery artist who blurs the line between wearable art and standalone sculptures. Her creations capture the essence of often-overlooked details, unveiling the subtle beauty found in the mundane. Barbara crafts pieces by drawing on an intimate lens that evokes emotions, giving objects an anthropomorphic character, and leading viewers into a world of texture, balance, and simplicity.

Having studied BA jewellery design at Central Saint Martins, Barbara received the Cartier Scholarship in 2021. Her works have also been exhibited at events including the Goldsmiths' Fair, London Design Week, and Munich Jewelry Week. Through her exploration in crafts, Barbara's creations offer a sensual resonant experience to the audience.

a string of hand-carved wooden pearls with a brass hook on top

Barbara's collection begins with an interpretation of the transformation of coat hangers. After closely observing two hangers attached to a wall in a bar, the artist discovers a sense of intimacy within their proximity. This discovery leads to her further experimentation with techniques such as threading and sculpting, aiming to visualize the inherent sensitivity of humanity within objects. By focusing on the two essential elements of hangers—wood and metal—Barbara uses carving to shape the wood into pieces that reflect on the excessively labeled objects and the transformative journey of the maker as she gradually adapts to the material. These changes can be observed in Barbara's writings, accompanied by a certain tenacity felt through the touch of the wood, allowing viewers to relate them to their own experiences of self-transformation. The incorporation of beads subtly connects to the artist's background in jewelry design, while also exploring the boundaries between jewelry and sculpture. The collection invites viewers to engage with it intimately through touch.

The pieces evoke a tension between the natural and the artificial, prompting contemplation on whether it is humans who invent objects, or if objects, in turn, shape us.

Three sets of hangers slow-w-w-w-w-w-w-wly carved out from a single block of lime wood.