The alluring sheen of jewellery has captivated countless people across generations. The refraction of light through precious gems and metals becomes an alluring dance in the eyes of the beholder; each piece of jewellery is a gift from nature, and even more significantly, it possesses within it the ingenuity of generations of craftsmen. Titanium artisan Aka Chen’s masterpiece, Orchid, was lauded by the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum as “redefining jewellery design for the 21st century,” — on top of excellent titanium craftsmanship, Aka Chen’s unique presentation of the refractive index unveils yet another exciting chapter when it comes to jewellery aesthetics in the new age.

 

A classic art piece is always one that encompassess a creative concept that is trailblazing, that guides people to discover an aestheticism which is thought-provoking. The 19th century Impressionist paintings, in considering how light brings about a visual impact on people, led to a presentation of modern art that broke the mould. Integrating the rational science of the properties of light with an emotive painting style has led to the creation of works that left the world in awe. Titanium artisan Aka Chen’s approach is a pensive one: what do jewellery represent? By going in depth into researching the refractive index in accordance with jewellery crafting, what different emotions can we evoke from people? This is the foundation upon which Aka Chen builds upon his unique “aesthetics of light”.

 

For Chen, what the refraction of light touches in people through sight are their emotions. Once, people revered jewellery that shines brightly, such as diamonds with a high refractive index of 2.41 — for a long time it had been a symbol of the divine, of power. However, Chen discovers that the times have changed; what people value even more now are the emotions they feel deep inside them, yearning for a return of spiritual freedom, a freedom of the soul. Steeped in Buddhist teachings since his youth and versed in calligraphy, flower arrangement and tea ceremony, Chen is deeply influenced by the tranquillity of Zen culture of the East as well as wabi-sabi, as he continues to explore how refractive index can be leveraged to portray a soft beauty and charm in jewellery.

 

A piece of jewellery with both precious gems and metals has always been a work in which the precious gems take centre stage. On the basis of this duality, Aka Chen has in recent years boldly attempted to craft many a work that subverts the aforesaid; it is titanium instead that is the focus, with precious gems playing the role of adornments. That Chen is able to be so unbridled in his creation stems from his ingenuity when it comes to titanium artisanry, as well as his skill in jewellery crafting. With his technique of sculpting under the microscope, Chen’s deftly depicts the myriad of ways light refracts off metal; for example, for his work Dragonfly the wings refract light in a way akin to glass, while for Butterfly, the wings refract light in a gentler, silk-like fashion that is mesmerising in its iridescence. There is a complementary effect with the diverse sheens that pure titanium gives off, culminating in a masterpiece that leaves one awestruck, as they feast their eyes on the play of light that is like a dance performance one indulges in. Aka Chen’s years of careful research has led to him developing his unique “pure titanium iridescence” technique — this innovative technique has led him to break new grounds for titanium artisanry and jewellery. 

 

For Aka Chen, the draw of titanium artisanry and jewellery lies in the imagination it inspires in one’s mind, through the permeability of light as one casts their eyes upon the work, bringing about a magical sense. Such aesthetic and charm is capable of passing on a story that will stay in the hearts of people.