Wallace Chan, the wizard of light


Wallace Chan, the wizard of light

An uphill climb could not deter Wallace Chan from chasing his dream of becoming a jewellery designer. Fate and talent have led him far beyond his wildest expectations. 
Wallace Chan Wallace Chan

Text by Marco Cresci

Now one of the most internationally famous goldsmith artists, Wallace Chan, born in Hong Kong in 1950, is one of the most revered jewellery designers in the world. Raised in a difficult economic context due to the hostile period in which he grew up, he paved his own way inventing a personal style based on the aesthetic power of light.  “I became an apprentice sculptor in 1973. Since then, my destiny has crossed paths with creation. My jewellery unites the knowledge of sculptural and pictorial arts with creative techniques that include 2D and 3D and which allow me to represent, through materials and processing, the interaction between light, colour, shape and sound in the natural world. Traditional sculpturing creates different styles in just as many different cultures. Nevertheless, non-transparent materials, like wood and ivory, often play the leading role in the traditional Chinese culture from which I come.”

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Sketch for the "Vermillion Veil" earrings, Biennale 2014

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His rebellious spirit has always led him to make risky decisions that have then turned out to be winning ones. “I tend to go against the rules. I began to use crystal, a highly reflective, transparent material, which allowed me to blend different carving techniques in one single object. The cameo, for example, includes carving, intaglio, and light and shade effects given exactly by the use of this material.”

His particular way of creating jewellery by studying the light that strikes it and how that light is then reflected, soon became his trademark. “The beauty of a stone is amplified a thousand times, one for each facet, when light strikes it. And similarly each shadow projected by a stone also has its distinctive effect. I am a precious stone enthusiast. Each one has a specific meaning that I hold clearly in my mind while I create. Rubies symbolise passion, sapphires represent tranquility and mystery, emeralds epitomise beauty and vitality and jadeites are a symbol of humility and nostalgia.”

Wallace Chan is a great believer in fate, in symbolism and meditation, deep-rooted elements in oriental tradition. He loves to think that the jewellery items he creates are in some way waiting for him, waiting for the right moment to be moulded by his hands. “Many of the precious stones I have come across in my life have been guided towards me by destiny as a reward for my efforts in creating jewellery by giving my utmost, by evaluating every chance at a creative and production level in order to turn them into something unique. It is a kind of devotion because I am convinced that, when a job is done to perfection, one establishes a friendly and trusting relationship both with precious stone suppliers and collectors.”

In 1987, Chan's studies of shape and light reflection applied to precious stones led him to create a new cut, now recognised worldwide as the "Wallace Cut" and thanks to which he won the Hong Kong Jewelry Design Grand WallaceChan_CollanaAward. “It is a sculpturing technique that creates an illusion in transparent materials, combining the medieval cameo and carving in one unique 3D engraving. The result is a fivefold reflection that unifies these techniques with millimetric precision. The concept may be simple, but creating it is extremely complicated, almost impossible. I had to invent some work tools myself in order to be able to create it and it took two years of testing before I could say I was satisfied.” Another love that features in Wallace Chan's creations is that for platinum, which he prefers to gold and silver. “Discovered 200 years ago and left dormant for almost a century, platinum is a bio-friendly metal. It is 100% anti-allergic and compatible with our bodies. It is highly resistant and can be blended with other materials. Of course, it is a material that needs to be tamed in that it resists fusion, inlay, setting and is hard to mix with other stones and jewels. But once I has studied and understood it, it provided me with unlimited potential.” Wallace Chan has an innate relationship with his creations. Every piece he has created passes through his mind, body and his relations with the external world almost as if it were an extension of his inner self.  “My jewellery has a powerful meaning for me. It expresses nostalgia and heredity. It is the incarnation of philosophy and culture and, at the same time, a symbol of eternal love. Love is the source of my creations whether it be for the world, for things and for living beings, there is a special relationship that motivates them. When I put my hands on a precious stone, it releases a feeling, a kind of sharing that frees me of every restriction. My senses open up to the light, shape, colour and my bond with nature that are the inspiration behind the vitality and tension within my creations. I am inspired to express my feelings through the construction and deconstruction of the realistic and the abstract, with creativity and skill.”

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