Hochschule Trier, Idar-OberSTEIN Campus, Department of Gemstone & Jewellery 2015 Graduates

After studying as a goldsmith in Pforzheim, Kun Zhang came to Idar-­oberstein to learn about gemstone and jewellery. She wanted to step out from her original environment to look at the Chinese culture from a distance. Hair ornament was an important part in ancient China, nowadays there are not many women using traditional hair pins. The trend of modern hair clips is overshadowing the use of the traditional pins. In her work she wants to blend the traditional jewellery with contemporary context, as a reminder of the old classic China and revive the lost customs.

The idea of giving a gift has been a part of human behavior since people came together & created a society. Apparently it was essential to use a tangible thing to express what is intangible to one another. The very first gift we are actually told of has been given according to the Bible by the very first lady to the first man -Eve & Adam. As fundamental as this action seems, the fact that it has been researched by economists, anthropologists psychologists & philosophers, referring & explaining, questioning & proofing its different fashions & qualities, emphasize its significance & complexity. As a gift, when given & received, the object announces on a certain connection between two or more people. When referring to a jewel as a gift, it may hold a very intriguing role, due to its sociological & private meanings. Moreover, in nowadays & our society a jewel, when purchased, is a gift whether to another or to oneself.

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Photo by Evelyn Bencicova

With this work I form a more reasonable connection to my family, my land and my past, relating it to my present. The fact of being far from them (my family and my roots) didn’t make it easy when I started this project. I thought that maybe because I was not home, I would not be able to praise my ancestors. But then I read an interview that Eduard Punset made with Daniel Schacter (Psychologist, Hardvard University) about memory. Schacter said “Every generation reinvents the past in light of its own experience. Memory serving the needs of the present, and the past being reshaped by current knowledge, beliefs, emotions and the like.” Having the chance to see how big the possibility to is to be tricked by our own memories, I began to ask myself: How real are the stories about our ancestors, even if they were written down by someone not long after it happened? They will always be uncertain, depending of the emotional state, beliefs, and influences at the time, because it is absolutely subjective.

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The “play” instinct is significant in our lives. Playing is crucial for development and helps us to understand our environment better. Through trial and error, we develope capabilities which influence us a lifetime. I play with plastic animals and stones. I take the animals apart and put them back together in combination with stones. The results of this process are interesting and exciting new creatures. It´s like a child tearing something apart, and then putting the pieces back togehter in a new creative way. Have fun with my pieces and join my whimsical world.

When people think about rice and beans, the first thing that comes to mind is food- not adornment, not gold or silver. These grains are important for our nourishment and survival. To me, they have a sort of beauty to them.
For as far as I can remember, I have been eating rice at all-important moments of my life. You can say that I have grown up with rice. And I have shared both happy and sad memories with it. The symbolic connection of rice with health, happiness and my memories, make rice, not just edible small objects but has much more value as precious material. The symbolic, labor and nutritional value of rice is enough reason for me to use as an adornment.