Dickson Yewn Creates Modern Chinese Jewellery That Doubles As Wearable Art
The Hong Kong-based creative director is proud of his Chinese heritage, and is not afraid to show it through his namesake brand’s fine jewellery collections.
By Brandon Chia - published
When we think of Chinese jewellery, period TV shows with royals dripping in opulent gold and jade adornments are the first images to pop into our minds. We seldom see contemporary pieces in this day and age, but that’s where Hong Kong-based designer Dickson Yewn and his namesake fine jewellery brand YEWN come in, creating modern and wearable works of art that evoke creativity and craftsmanship from Chinese culture.
Yewn’s passion for jewellery design began 25 years ago, after spending several years working in art direction for films and as a multi-media artist specialising in photographs and paintings with over 15 solo and group exhibitions worldwide.
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The brand had its first pivotal moment in pop culture in 2011 when former First Lady, Michelle Obama, wore one of Yewn’s signatures—the Lattice jadeite square ring—at a dinner hosted by the White House for the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
“I didn’t even know she wore it until a week later. It was quite a defining moment for me to continue in this business because I felt discouraged and wanted to go back into the film industry,” said Yewn.
Before this, Yewn had received negative feedback for the square rings because of the unconventional shape, but that was never the intent of its design. Every collection is meant to be a conversation starter on Eastern jewellery aesthetics and to foster an appreciation for it.
“I hope to be an ambassador of Asian culture in general for the West, and the square ring and my book—YEWN: Contemporary Art Jewels and the Silk Road—are the bridge for the different cultures. You don’t have to know Asian or Western languages to understand aesthetics and jewellery; it’s visual,” said Yewn.
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The newest collection by the brand, Literati, is inspired by traditional Chinese scholar-officials, bringing elements of their work through poems, calligraphy and paintings into modern jewellery. These pieces include the Day Lily square ring, the Hibiscus by the Water square ring and the Narcissus square bangle inspired by the flowers painted by Ba Da Shan Ren, Tang Xin and Zhao Mengjian.
The intricate details of each flower, set with a cacophony of diamonds, curving along the contours of the square base stand out immediately and it doesn’t necessarily read as influences from Chinese culture.
It is the lattice structure, similar to windows and furnishings of traditional Chinese architecture, crafted in gold on the shank that imbues the pieces with East Asian flair, which is something only the wearer will be privy to as this detail cannot be seen when worn.
“Literati is my most successful collection to date because I’ve reached a level where I don’t have to use Chinese motifs like auspicious symbols, pagodas or pandas to convey that my jewellery is Chinese—it’s implied,” said Yewn.
The first volume of the YEWN art book explores jewellery inspired by the lifestyles and romances of the imperial courts while the second explores folk art, religious and philosophical influences along the Silk Road.
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Yewn also uses unconventional materials like porcelain, jade and wood to subtly convey the Chinese aesthetic as these are commonly used materials in traditional furniture, decorations and tableware. The designer is currently experimenting with crafting techniques originating from ancient China for future collections and a third art book that unpacks them in detail.
“Right now, I am messing with gold inlay dating back to the Warring States, which is a few centuries before Christ. It’s another intangible way of incorporating the heritage of China into the jewellery,” said Yewn. “Most of the time I’m not the craftsman making the jewellery but as the creative director, I have to put my soul into every piece.”