Under the sunset, the five-hole stone bridge is simple and beautiful, on the water surface, the reflection is picturesque, and the appearance of being wrinkled by the wind is more charming. A few months ago, when Wang Ming saw the Okura Bridge for the first time, he was deeply attracted by the scenery of this pristine Jiangnan water town. When he heard about the newly opened Obsidian Art Center next to the Okura Bridge, he decided to move in almost immediately. "I'm designing jewelry, and the name of this place is 'Obsidian', isn't that the place that beckons me to come true for my dreams? Wang Ming said.
Wang Ming is a post-90s independent jewelry designer who moved from Hangzhou to Shanghai two years ago. Soon after arriving in Shanghai, he settled in Jiuting, and now he has moved his studio to the Okura Bridge, where he says he hopes his work will "shine."
Because of a bracelet, he fell in love with jewelry
Wang Ming's hometown is in Huangshan, Anhui Province. When he was in the second grade of elementary school, he received a gift - a string of Bodhi bracelets. The round wooden beads are strung together, and there is no special decoration, but I feel very fond of wearing it on my hand. That was the first time Wang Ming had his own jewelry, and unconsciously, he began to pay attention to jewelry of various materials, such as collars, bracelets, rings, ......One style and one style, wearing it on the body is not only beautiful, but also brings psychological comfort.
When filling in the college entrance examination, most art students chose animation, graphic design, visual communication and other majors, while Wang Ming specifically looked for which university had jewelry design majors. Eventually, he was admitted to the China University of Geosciences majoring in product design, specializing in jewelry design.
In search of the original stone, he traveled thousands of miles
When he was still in college, Wang Ming often went in and out of various material wholesale markets to design and make jewelry by himself.
After graduating from university, Wang Ming traveled almost all over the country to jade mineral production areas and raw material processing and distribution centers, Yunnan, Henan, Guangdong ......Everywhere I go, I will meet many friends in the circle, and I have accumulated a wealth of contacts in my career. In order to find the source of the material, he even went to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and some countries in Africa to hunt for treasures.
The first time I went abroad to buy goods, I was cheated, and most of the bag of gems I brought back was glass. Wang Ming said with a smile, "Although I was very depressed at the time, I calmed down and talked to my heart, and I think my mission is to continue to find high-quality, cost-effective materials, and make them with my own hands, so that they shine more brightly, which is an extremely happy thing." ”
Wanting to "shine", he came to Matsue
The more places he walked and the more expensive and flashy treasures he saw, Wang Ming gradually developed a soft spot for jade.
I feel that among all the minerals, jade on behalf of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation is the most connotative, it not only has the beautiful meaning of purity, peace and smoothness, but also its unique warm texture can also give full play to the ingenuity of the designer. Speaking of jade, Wang Ming immediately became excited.
In Wang Ming's recent works, jade accounts for a considerable proportion. Not only pendants, bracelets, earrings and other jewelry, but also jade plaques, jade ornaments, etc., there are many categories. He likes to design mythical beasts and totems on jade, and he tries to use almost all of the styles included in "Traditional Chinese Auspicious Patterns" in his works.
To tell the story of jade well, you have to find a place where you can meditate. In Wang Ming's heart, Songjiang, which has a deep cultural heritage, is such a blessed land, especially at the foot of the Okura Bridge, which is a paradise-like existence. Wang Ming said that working here is very down-to-earth, and he believes that his dream will shine here.
*: Shanghai Songjiang.