"City in the Clouds" series of hat ornaments
"City in the Clouds" series of hat ornaments (partial)
"City in the Clouds" series of hat ornaments (craft details)
Arm of "City in the Clouds" Series (Partial)
"City in the Clouds" series of necklace (partial)
Detailed Scheme and Production Process of City in the Clouds
The production process of "City in the Clouds" [Part 1]]
The production process of "City in the Clouds" [Part 2]]
"City in the Clouds" is based on two traditional handicrafts of Yunnan silverware forging (national intangible cultural heritage) and Dai bamboo weaving (provincial intangible cultural heritage): silver materials are melted and forged to extend into silver pieces of varying thickness, the thickness of one end of the silver piece is 0.6mm, and the complicated patterns of double-eave roof are carved with Yunnan traditional silver chiseling techniques (made in collaboration with Dai silversmith Liang since and Bai silversmith Li Wenbin); the thickness of the other end is 0.1mm, and the texture of bamboo weaving is reproduced by silver weaving process. The "non-welding composite structure" is realized on a piece of silver material, and the dual visual narrative of "luxury/simplicity" is formed by the process of "engraving relief three-dimensional weaving", which symbolizes the circulation and transformation of Dai culture.
Architecture is the material carrier of the Dai people's spiritual beliefs. This work combines the two most representative architectural symbols of the Dai people-the Zang Temple architecture with the most simple and unpretentious bamboo house: the chisel carving process condenses the luxurious temperament of the Dai-style Zang house, and the weaving technique continues the wisdom of the folk house, reflecting the process of cultural evolution with "craft collage. The series of accessories realize the spatial metaphor of "body is dwelling" through the corresponding relationship between the wearing parts of the human body and the architectural symbols (such as the hat corresponding to the roof structure). In the square inch silver piece, the uplift and stacking of the ornamentation reconstruct the miniature totem of faith, and complete the design translation of the Dai construction aesthetics in the language of contemporary metal art.
In the past ten years, I have continued to cultivate China's ethnic minority areas, with "design intervention in intangible cultural heritage activation" as the core, and accessories as a creative medium rooted in the local and global dialogue, exploring the cross-cultural expression path of traditional crafts.
City in the Clouds was inspired by a social survey of the Dai people in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, between 2016 and 2020.
In the Dai area, architecture is not only the main space of life, but also carries the culture, history and social structure of the Dai people. The social development and cultural flow brought about by the passage of time are also often projected in the transfer and transformation of architectural symbols. The local architecture has evolved from feudal rank symbols (only aristocrats and zang houses can use double eaves) to cultural symbols shared by the whole people. At the same time, in the face of the impact of foreign culture, Dai people always stick to their own cultural system, change, conflict, development, this kind of cultural resilience and inclusiveness, it is a micro-sample of China's multi-ethnic social transformation.
At the production level, I and the craftsmen jointly built a "creative-technical" collaborative model. Creative integration of silver forging (national intangible cultural heritage) and Dai bamboo weaving (provincial intangible cultural heritage) two major processes, to achieve the full blend of skills and creativity. Through the intervention of design, it has activated the technological innovation of local craftsmen, promoted the development of local handicraft ecology, and explored a new path for the activation of traditional crafts.
Recalling that while studying for a master's degree at the University of the Arts in London, David Crow, then vice-president of UAL, once said that "art" and "design" are not only for display, but also as a universal language of communication that is not restricted by national boundaries and languages. This has always inspired my creation. I hope that my works can not only show the unique charm of Dai culture and the exquisite skills of traditional Chinese crafts, but also serve as a material witness to the evolution of local civilization, especially in the context of globalization. this "local translation" may provide a sustainable solution for minority cultures: neither specimen protection nor subversive transformation, but to activate the contemporary vitality of traditional culture in the process of technological innovation.
Shiyi Cheng graduated from the Chelsea School of Art, University of the Arts London, with a master's degree in fabric design. Over the past ten years, we have been committed to deconstructing Chinese traditional culture and folk crafts with modern design thinking, and interpreting Chinese traditional culture with accessory design. In the past ten years, Cheng Shiyi visited more than 100 cities in more than 20 provinces in China to explore the current situation of the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage in my country. During the investigation, she studied and practiced in depth, and was familiar with weaving, dyeing and embroidery, metal crafts, lacquer, etc. A variety of traditional Chinese crafts. In 2015, CraftPlus international folk art design platform was launched in London, UK. The team is composed of the world's top designers, artists and cultural research experts. It is committed to spreading Chinese intangible cultural heritage culture with creativity, empowering traditional crafts with design, and actively promoting the protection, innovation and development of Chinese traditional crafts.
As a material artist and accessories designer, Cheng Shiyi hopes to combine her unique artistic language with traditional crafts. "Design makes folk art new" is the design idea that the artist has always insisted on. She uses her works as a narrative medium to present her perception and touch of local culture to the audience. The representative works include "City in the Clouds", an accessory work combined with Dai silver ornaments, which was approved by the National Art Foundation for Young Art Creative Talents and was selected into the 4th China Design Exhibition. The silver enamel jewelry series "Naoqmaaqmeil Norma Ami", which combines Hani culture, the shoulder ornament work "Homeland Home", which combines Dong silver ornaments, and the accessory work "Blossom in the Field", which combines Miao embroidery; during the master's degree, the series "Memory of Iceland Mountains and Rivers" cooperated with Swarovski brand won the intercollegiate gold medal in the Italian iskool design competition. The graduate work "Stay in Touch" was exhibited in the Land Securities project in England. Many groups of works were exhibited in London, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Taipei and other places.
