History-inspired Jewelry

"Shan-hai Ching is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Versions of the text may have existed since as early as the fourth century BC, but the present form was not reached until the early Han dynasty a few centuries later. It is largely a fabulous geographical and cultural account of pre-Qin China as well as a collection of Chinese mythology. But nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people who know this book. I have a deep interest in the cultural history in this book, so according to the story, I spent lots of time painting them as my imaginary characters, like beasts, scenes, etc., using watercolor to give these words a new life. And this year, I tried to combine these paintings with jewelry. Each piece tells a story, using contemporary language to narrate it, so they can be rebirthed, even last forever."

- Hairuo Ding, Metals and Jewelry Design MFA student