The third collaboration between Cindy Chao and Tom Postma took over three floors of Fosun Foundation, located in the Bund Finance Center in Shanghai.
The Taiwanese jewellery artist and Dutch exhibition artist explored the connection between macro-architecture and art through an articulation of space, messages and experiences for the exhibition titled "The Endless Realm" held from June 19-27.
The history of Cindy Chao The Art Jewel is portrayed through the 'Endless Exploration' theme.
The immersive exhibition portrayed the story of Cindy Chao The Art Jewel founded in 2004.
Chao's grandfather was a distinguished architect in Taiwan. Under his guidance, she learned to see the world in a three-dimensional way, now expressed in the 360-degree works of art under the Black Label Masterpiece and White Label collections.
She also learned sculpting from her father and uses the 18th-century artisan technique of crafting design in wax before completing the intricate sculptures with precious metal and gemstones.
2021 Black Label Masterpiece VIII: Blue Dawn Feather Brooch with diamonds, Sri Lankan sapphires, green sapphires, tsavorites and alexandrites.
2019 Black Label Masterpiece II: Marguerite Brooch with a cabochon emerald, diamonds, yellow diamonds and tsavorites.
Chao actually works on the 3D wax sculptures first before the sketches.
On the 1st floor of the exhibition, her gouache sketches were projected on Postma's wall art installation. The space called "Inspiration Initiation" unveiled like an opened, enlarged scroll surrounded by layers of the original design sketches.
Back-lit by LED, the layers of canvas created an immersion into a jewellery landscape. With the contrasting lights and shadows, viewers glimpsed into the world of colour and images that flashed through Chao's mind.
In the blackness of obscurity, the infinity of time and space merged into an artistic installation and sensorial experience on the 2nd floor.
Inspiration Initiation unveils like an opened, enlarged scroll surrounded by layers of original sketches.
Postma's team overcame multiple obstacles in materialising "The Land Of Art" as the darkness limited the ability to see clearly the floors, walls and structures lined entirely with black molten fabric.
The installation aimed to create an unfathomable sensation of being lost in space with no top, bottom or sides, while punctuations of light evoked a starry night sky.
Moreover, several tonnes of water were flooded into the room for the floor and a secondary pool of space constructed and lined with mirrors to appear bottomless creating the perception of being in the abyss of a vast sea.
2016 Black Label Masterpiece IX: Titanium Winter Leaves Necklace with diamonds and yellow diamonds.
The room was centred by a semi-transparent pavilion "floating" on water. Accessible by a bridge, the pavilion showcased the Black Label Masterpieces which seemed afloat as the walls lined with mirror foils reflected each other to create an infinitive and endless effect within the space.
The sensorial experience was enhanced by sounds of wind and water as well as the smell of grass after the rain.
The exhibition concluded on the 3rd floor with the "Endless Exploration" theme. Visitors learned of museum inductions and highlight pieces from auctions and art fairs as well as craftsmanship and production process that distinguish Cindy Chao The Art Jewel from other maisons.
2019 Black Label Masterpiece I: Aurora Butterfly Brooch with Burmese pigeon's blood rubies, diamonds, yellow diamonds, rubies and sapphires.
Chao's works are inspired by flowers, leaves, feathers, butterflies and ribbons. The Royal Butterfly, Ruby Butterfly and Peony brooches have been respectively inducted into the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Victoria and Albert Museum.
