Interview with Sylvia Jielu Zhang
Sylvia Zhang is a jewellery artist and designer trained in Central Saint Martins, UK. She graduated with a Jewellery Design degree in 2014.
Designer Interview
2 August 2019
Sylvia Zhang is a jewellery artist and designer trained in Central Saint Martins, UK. She graduated with a Jewellery Design degree in 2014. In 2016, Sylvia Zhang finished her Master's Degree at OCAD University, Canada，after studying the program Criticism and Curatorial Practice. When I was a child, I've always wanted to be work in art and design industry but Chinese parents usually have stereotype about this industry, so I didn't have much opportunity to study art and design until I accidentally get admitted in a Gemstone program from a university. I would say it is definitely destiny that pulled my back into what I loved and what I should do through an unexpected accident.
My dream to have my own brand started when I studied jewellery design at Central Saint Martins, UK, the top fashion university around the world. I learned how to research, develop ideas and make jewellery there.
I decided to move to Toronto and studied for a Master degree at OCAD U, where my understanding of contemporary jewellery deepened as my research focus on how contemporary jewellery is a form of wearable art and I work on developing new exhibition strategy of it.
In 2017, When I am prepared with both academic and design background, I realized it is time I can have my own designer brand.
My dream to have my own brand started when I studied jewellery design at Central Saint Martins, UK, the top fashion university around the world. I learned how to research, develop ideas and make jewellery there.
I decided to move to Toronto and studied for a Master degree at OCAD U, where my understanding of contemporary jewellery deepened as my research focus on how contemporary jewellery is a form of wearable art and I work on developing new exhibition strategy of it.
In 2017, When I am prepared with both academic and design background, I realized it is time I can have my own designer brand.
To express the designer's world and echoes with others.My jewellery always has a story behind it. The message of love can bond people together and build up relationships. I hope everyone can give meaningful presents to their loved one, a present has more to tell other than decorative function.
Wedding jewellery.
I like to experiment with different materials.
At night and when I come back from travelling.
I paid attention to materials. It is important for me to think which materials can express my ideas better. Only using metal will be limited, I like to combine precious material with non-precious material.
Sometimes excited, sometimes anxious. At the brainstorming stage it can be free, but then you need to focus down and be more rational.
Very fulfilling.
When the meaning touches people's heart, and they like the uniqueness of it.
Is it original? Is it special enough?
My responsibility and passion lie in combine traditional culture heritage with modern design, so that I can give bring the "old" to the "new". I cannot watch the "old" to die out.
I come up with new ideas in travelling experience, where I can visit galleries and museums, experience local culture. I paid attention to everything, food, colour, nature, architecture...
As an independent jewellery designer, jewellery is the media that she can tell stories and draw her imaginary world to the audience. My works usually embrace languages of curves, organic forms and colour. Culture and stories bring me endless inspiration.
I live in Canada now, but my nationality is Chinese. What I learned in school is western design theories and I love to apply that into my own culture. The outcome would be unexpectedly exciting.
I work for myself. For me, freedom is a double-edged sword. I need to be very self-disciplined.
For me, design something special and meaningful is the gold rule.
Are you able to develop ideas? Are you able to be unique? These questions used to be the most important but now for me I will consider from the business side, am I able to sell this？ How can I reduce the cost?
I am very traditional. I use mostly hand tools and only recently started using ipad to draw design.
I have a timeline for myself and try to stick to it, but sometimes when you don't have inspirations things start to fall apart. I am still training myself to get better at time management.
It depends. A few days to a week.
Every time I wear a piece of jewellery and introduced to others who I am, people would ask "you design this jewellery"? I feel I have to my own ambassador all the time, it's interesting.
My service include custom jewellery and silver jewellery, so my clients are in different age, and my business is mostly online so I can sell internationally.
I love works that have stories behind because I am good at extract elements and ideas from stories. I am also attracted by the story itself. Culture that I experienced through my travel experiences, too, is very inspiring to me.
I hope to create more culture-heritage-related collections, and keep my custom jewellery design going.
Sometimes I work with my design assistant, most of time I design by myself.
I am doing a project relate to a culture heritage-Chinese shadow puppy play. I am fascinated by the beauty of it, and feel I must develop it, modernize it and give it a new life so more young people will know about it.
Please contact me via email, Instagram, or Wechat.