Impressionistic Silver Filigree Art by Art Only: The Intangible Cultural Heritage of China
Saturday, October 01 2022 Peppaca Team
Art Only is an original Chinese brand concentrating on the design and re-creation of non-traditional forms of handicraft. The brand won the honorary "City Cultural and Creative Star" title at the 7th Chongqing (International) Cultural Industry Expo in 2018, and it was one of the awards given out. In addition to being the founder of the brand Art Only, He Yang is also a designer who works across borders.
In 2012, He Yang received a bachelor's degree from Zhu Kezhen College of Zhejiang University. She then earned a master's degree in Finance in the United States. In 2015, however, she decided to switch careers and became a handcrafted designer. That same year, she established the original designer brand Art Only.
The artist believes that life ought to provide more than one option. She concluded that she was not cut out for a career in finance when she was a junior in college. Despite devoting twice as much time and effort to her studies, she could not produce the expected results. She gradually sorted out her heart and area of expertise.
Surprisingly, even though He Yang had never systematically studied design or drawing, she could seamlessly transition into the design field despite not having a background. As Liu Zhenyun said, "When one starts, it is more important which path one takes to move forward." The French Ministry of Culture awarded Liu Zhenyun the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018. She finds that many of her design inspirations come to her as naturally as breathing. At long last, He Yang discovered the way forward for herself. Within a relatively short time, the general public has come to recognize and appreciate the brand "Art Only."
Her works have won the gold medal of the second pan-Asia Cup Sino-Japanese Design Exchange Exhibition, the silver award of Genting Cup Arts and Crafts Creative Design Competition, and the Outstanding Work Award of the second Non-legacy Creative Topic Selection, etc. She won the Top Ten Innovative Figures in Chongqing in 2016 and the Entrepreneurship Award 2020 Chinese Young Designers Entrepreneurship Competition.
In terms of design, He Yang is not only preoccupied with the feeling but also drawn to the conventional methods of Chinese craftsmanship. Her initial impression of the filigree inlaid metal art (花丝镶嵌:huāsī xiānɡqiàn) was that it was stunningly beautiful and possessed a distinctively eastern air.
Thanks to her tireless efforts, she successfully persuaded master Dao An to collaborate with her. The silver series is designed by Art Only studio and completed by master Dao An - an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage of silver filigree in Chendu.
All the steps in the production process are carried out by hand, making it a national intangible cultural heritage that dates back more than 1700 years. Filamentary silver hovering art is the most distinctive Han Chinese traditional gold and silver handicraft in Chengdu, which has already reached a very high artistic level in the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. It is also known as one of the "Four Great Masters" of Chengdu, along with Shu embroidery, bamboo weaving, and lacquer ware.
It must draw by hand into excellent silk that only one-third of the fineness of hair using eight hand techniques, including "pile, base, weave, weave, pinch, fill, save, and weld." The process is complex and time-consuming, and the maker must do this by hand. On the other hand, due to the passage of time, there are currently very few people capable of mastering the craft of filamentary silver hovering art. As a result, it is in jeopardy of being lost. As a result, every single piece of filamentary silver hovering art artwork created by Art Only is one of a kind.
Once upon a time, the process of filigree inlaid metal art (花丝镶嵌:huāsī xiānɡqiàn) was reserved exclusively for the imperial court. Only the emperor and his consort were permitted to wear the jewelry.
Handmade Filament Silver Dancer Brooch
Nowadays, the filigree inlaid metal art (花丝镶嵌:huāsī xiānɡqiàn) often use as a national gift to the leaders of various countries in the name of China's excellent power image. At the APEC meeting in 2014, the spouses of national leaders each received a handbag decorated made of filigree inlaid metal art (花丝镶嵌:huāsī xiānɡqiàn) as a gift from their respective countries. Art Only‘s filamentary silver hovering art products are also a high-class gift that shows the status of nobility and is full of Chinese culture's traditional values.
Filamentary silver hovering art Bookmark Collection
According to He Yang, the filamentary silver hovering art silk bookmark series is designed based on fans and small windows commonly found in Chinese garden architecture. Not only is the bookmark pattern consistent and evenly spaced, but there are also no joints or broken traces of silk in it. It is as transparent as gauze and as light as a cicada's wings.
Silver Filigree Bookmark In Lattice Window Style (窗银花丝书签 中国非遗工艺银花丝 传统手工艺中国风书签小轩窗书签)
Filamentary silver hovering art Jewellery Collection
In addition, the swallow symbolizes spring and love in traditional Chinese culture. The brooch and necklaces that are modeled after a swallow are not only hand-crafted using filamentary silver hovering art that is practiced in China, but they are also fired with high-temperature enamel. The pattern of filamentary silver hovering art is about the size of a sesame seed. Applying a layer of colorful glaze on top during the firing process is intended to give the cultural and creative jewelry a new lease on life. It is the perfect, romantic gift for your partner to commemorate the occasion.
Silver Filigree Enamel Swallows Necklace (飞燕银花丝珐琅项链 中国非遗手工艺银花丝高温珐琅 中国风银饰品)
There is also a brooch and handmade silver jewelry designed based on cedar. Silver jewelry not only satisfies the aesthetic requirements of young people, but it is also better able to show the trend of modern and traditional collisions. For example, Tiffany & Co. undeniably strongly supports silver jewelry.
Silver Filigree Cedar Tree Brooch (松银花丝胸针 中国非遗手工艺银花丝)
Art Only’s filamentary silver-hovering art handcrafted series provides contemporary young people with a one-of-a-kind esthetic experience. The designs stay current with the times and combine traditional Chinese jewelry-making techniques with modern techniques. Art Only’s filamentary silver hovering art can be utilized both as a present and as a decoration, bringing with them the values of traditional Chinese culture to bring out your individuality. You can find more of her exquisite art at her Peppaca Professional Store Art Only