I firmly believe that my work is not only a work of art, but also an exploration of the meaning of life. Through my creations, I search for the meaning of existence, constantly examining and observing life’s moments.
Born: Wuhan, China
Now: Sheffield, United Kingdom
@qiansunms | www.qiansunms.com
INTERVIEW
Let’s start with the basics – why did you decide to study textiles at first, then smoothly transitioned into working with metal? And how did this training evolve into jewelry design?
My initial choice to study textiles stemmed from a profound experience in my life. Almost losing my beloved canine companion of seven years prompted me to seek ways to preserve something tangible from him, particularly his fur. I desired to retain the scent and tactile sensation his fur brought, leading me to experiment with various methods of preservation. Over time, I began contemplating how to integrate fur with metal. Drawing upon my strong skills in metalworking, I realized this fusion held the potential for greater creative expression and design possibilities, allowing me to meld imagination with craftsmanship to craft unique pieces.
This progression naturally evolved into jewelry design. Initially, my focus was on mastering techniques such as fur treatment and its integration with metal. I firmly believe that solid craftsmanship forms the foundation of any design. As I gradually honed my skills and married them with design principles and aesthetics, I began amalgamating different materials and techniques to create distinctive and expressive jewelry pieces.Fur, akin to brushes with varying hues, and metal, akin to canvas, allowed me to paint any scene I desired.
I’d like to highlight the unique direction of your work. How did the symbiosis of jewelry and interaction with dogs come about?
I’ve chosen a unique path, where my love for jewelry design intersects with my passion for pets. I firmly believe that pets play a special role in our lives, serving as companions, family members, and emotional pillars. Despite their relatively short lifespans, their memories endure as long as we remember them. Hence, I aim to reflect these special emotions and memories through my jewelry designs. Using pet hair as raw material isn’t just about preserving their memories and emotions; it’s also about exploring this unique interaction and symbiotic relationship. Each piece carries the personal understanding of its wearer, and wearing jewelry crafted from pet hair is a form of interaction with them, possessing powerful healing properties and showcasing the deep emotional bond between humans and pets. Such designs not only bring me satisfaction and joy but also endow me with a unique creativity and expressiveness.
Qian, what are your works about, and what themes do you address to society?
To explain, I am a female artist.
The theme of my work revolves around the symbiotic relationship between jewellery design and pets. I am dedicated to expressing the deep emotional bond between people and their pets as well as an understanding of the special role pets play in people’s lives. By using pet hair as the raw material for my jewellery designs and combining it with materials such as silk and metal, I hope to convey the meaning of cherishing memories and emotional connections. At the same time, my work explores the interaction and symbiotic relationship between humans and their pets, as well as human attitudes towards nature and the ecosystem. The social themes that I focus on and try to convey are cherishing and respecting life, as well as expressing the emotional connection between humans and animals and the importance of animals in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.
To be honest, I love animals and nature more than humans, and derive healing power and energy from nature, which is why most of my work focuses on nature and memory.
How do you think your interest in psychology helps you find points of connection with the audience? After all, one of your aspirations is visual and emotional interaction.
As a jewellery designer and female artist, my interest in psychology stems from a personal curiosity about human behaviour and emotions. My experiences have given me an understanding of many areas of art, so by studying psychology, I am able to connect more quickly with my audience and understand their needs and points of emotional connection. I hope to use my knowledge of psychology to create merchandising designs that are engaging and resonant. Through visual art and emotional interaction, I hope to inspire deep inner resonance so that they can find emotional experience and thought resonance in my work, thus building a level of connection and understanding among viewers. I want viewers to be able to find their own emotional experience in my work without too many words. I believe that the process of making jewellery is essentially a process of using myself and exploring the twists and turns of my life for meaning. I believe that psychology is theory and science, while art is broader and more spontaneous. Combining psychology with art can give art more functionality as it is more accessible.
Tell us about how viewers react to your works. What achievements do you consider significant in your career?
The reaction to my work is not really rooted in how wonderful my work is, but in how important their pets are to them. Overall, I hope that my work evokes deep emotions within the viewer and inspires them to think about life, beauty, and self-discovery.
One of the key achievements in my career has been the attitude of the consumer; I get them involved in my designs, telling me about their memories with their pets, and I get their feedback through the depth of understanding that goes into producing the designs. Almost everyone treasured and loved my work, and I achieved what I set out to do with this project. I use my work to accompany the owners and bring them joy. I hope to influence more people and emphasise the importance of these animals. Another very important achievement is that I have learnt and grown significantly. I have a demanding technique that I am always improving, and I can improve tremendously in almost ten days, and reflecting on my work has helped me to learn more about myself. I feel that life is a process of finding meaning in life and learning about myself. Art is my best companion in understanding myself.
What advice would you give to newcomers starting their journey in art – to search for materials, ideas, or to develop a style and act through trial and error?
Here are some suggestions for newcomers who are just beginning their art journey:
Explore a variety of materials, especially the areas that interest you the most, but the process must be boring and full of failures, art making itself is a challenging and trying process. But my advice is to try ten times, to learn and improve from each failure, to keep trying, ten times. And all my experiences are less than ten times will be successful.
Feel with your heart and take note of the things that touch you the most, doing so will help inspire creativity and develop observational skills. Also experiment with areas that you want to try but haven’t, cross-disciplinary knowledge will give you more inspiration. Step out of your comfort zone.
I think repetition is essential. Stay patient and persistent, keep practising and exploring, and your work will grow and develop a unique style and sound.
Above all, enjoy the entire creative process and let your creativity flow freely. Keep trying new things and always trust your abilities and intuition.