We unravel the meaning behind Ejing Zhang’s interwoven resin jewels

London-based designer Ejing Zhang turned her hand from textiles to jewellery in 2014, but her sculptural resin jewels are, quite literally, woven with references to her past. At her Bloomsbury studio she unravels spools of Madeira ceramic and polyester thread, across a spectrum of pastel colours, into hand-carved moulds, then pours over a cold resin. Once set, the resin, now rippled with threads, is polished into elliptical hoop earrings, slices to sit atop cuffs, or discs to be speared into delicate brooches.
Zhang’s decision to transfer métier was prompted by a pursuit of alternative materials, rather than an inclination for fine jewels: 'I wanted to make wearable materials, but found soft fabrics restrictive. Jewellery was the answer to a question of application, of how I could apply hard plastics to the body; the process and the material came long before the jewellery.'
In her new A/W 2018 collection, inspiration is drawn from multiple sources: the outline of the Finn earrings recall a reclining Henry Moore nude, while the Hail earrings take their shape from a study of dewdrops on a morning trip to Kew Gardens. ‘My pieces are very much sculptural forms, but there is a middle ground between the organic and the structured,' she says. ‘The curved resin shapes are very playful, so I like to keep the metal components as clean and minimal as possible.'
Despite their playfulness, each piece possesses a sleek, industrial gloss: juicy pebbles of navy blue and yellow resin, flecked with gold leaf and burnt orange thread, are suspended on curvilinear metal bars in the architectural Patter choker. ‘Tactility is key,' explains Zhang. ‘I encourage people to touch my work, to feel the threads coming to the surface. Nowadays, we’re a very digital society - you don’t get to touch many materials any more. I wanted to preserve that element.'
Chimera' asymmetric earrings in sterling silver and resin
Patter' asymmetric warrings in gold plated sterling silver and resin
Sedna' cuff in gold plated sterling silver, resin and gold leaf
Finn' earrings in gold plated sterling silver and resin
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Ejing Zhang website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
The gayest love story ever told: Jeremy Atherton Lin's memoir is a tribute to home
In 'Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told', Jeremy Atherton Lin mixes memoir with a historical deep-dive into marriage equlaity
-
This monumental Valentino book is a true Italian fashion epic
Spanning oral testimony, sketches and magazine spreads, ‘Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic’ (published by Taschen) charts the career of Valentino Garavani, whose mononymous Roman house would define a vision of Italian glamour
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never before
The Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
All eyes on Greek jewellery brand Lito as it launches bold new amulets to mark its 25 years
Striking amulets, seductive stones and secret messages characterise Lito's striking new anniversary collection, an extension of its ‘Tu es Partout’ series
-
The best layering necklaces for an elevated yet casual look
How to mix, match and stack jewellery for the ultimate high-energy, low-effort style
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windows
Four British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden Hour
Late summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hit
What started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to know
These independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal pieces
A host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a moment
We've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results