Shapeshifter: The Multiverse of Wallace Chan Exhibition
Christie’s Hong Kong is presenting an exhibition of the creations of Chinese jewelry master Wallace Chan January 14-25.
Shapeshifter: The Multiverse of Wallace Chan will showcase over 80 unique creations that underline the craftsmanship and savoir faire of the Hong Kong-based jeweller who creates wearable works of art infused with Chinese philosophy.
The retrospective will highlight some of the techniques that have made him famous, like his celebrated Wallace Cut, his use of titanium and patented jade technology, and will also present his most collection using porcelain in a new technique that was unveiled in the US last November.
For Chan, a piece of jewelry is more than an adornment – it is a storyteller, a carrier of heritage, a reflection of the times and a way of realizing his dreams. “To me, jewellery is an art form. Ornamentation means little unless it amalgamates with the human body. I want my creations to trigger a provocative dialogue between form and function, between the individual and the universe, and between the past and the future. Many of my pieces also explore the eternal interdependence of life and death,” he says.
Chan’s fascination with porcelain began at an early age. When he was five years old, he broke a porcelain spoon. The vivid memory of that experience never left him, and became his inspiration, “Our memory is our greatest material,” he says, adding he’s been collecting the material, which is heavily rooted in Chiense culture and history since his 20s.
The new collection was 7 years in the making, and Wallace describes each pieces as a “philosophical exploration of the universe, depicting stories of the past and present, and laying out his vision for the future.”
