Wallace Chan: The Wheel of Time
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Event date 4 - 10 September -
Event location London
Comprising over 150 pieces of one-of-a-kind jewellery creations, the display features some of the artist’s most iconic examples, including Stilled Life, an imperial jadeite brooch/sculpture that masterfully captures a cicada resting on a bamboo leaf and Metamorphosis, a stunning butterfly brooch that harmoniously combines emeralds, real butterfly wings and intricately carved rock crystal and mother of pearl. Additionally, the exhibition will feature around 20 never-before-seen works and a series of titanium and iron sculptures. The pieces on view represent Chan’s six innovations and the significant moments of his remarkable 50-year career.
By hosting this unique exhibition, Christie’s reaffirms our commitment to supporting artists and the evolution of their work, and demonstrates, once again, our longstanding relationship with Wallace Chan, whose work has been exhibited previously at Christie’s in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
About Wallace Chan
Wallace Chan is a master jewellery artist and sculptor who has redefined contemporary jewellery.
Born in China in 1956, Chan began his creative career as a carver at the age of 16 in 1973. His remarkable journey spanned over half a century. Inspired by nature, philosophy and spirituality, Chan’s works seamlessly blend traditional techniques with innovative technologies. The Hong-Kong based, self-trained artist has gained worldwide recognition for pioneering titanium’s unprecedented use in art. His material-focused practice encompasses jewellery, sculpture and carving, and has led to the creation of numerous innovations, including The Wallace Cut (1987), a patented jade technique (2002) and The Wallace Chan Porcelain (2018). To date, Chan is one of the only artists to use titanium in artworks of such colour, scale and complexity.
The exhibition’s title, The Wheel of Time, serves as a metaphor for Chan’s working process, since much of his jewellery is labour intensive, requiring meticulous attention to detail. His art embraces traditional aspects of Chinese aesthetics, combined with respect for the intrinsic qualities of his working materials, the unique skill employed in carving them, and the sheer time element involved in their creation.
Honoured as a ‘Living National Treasure’ in China, Chan’s remarkable artistic contributions are featured in prestigious collections at the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), The British Museum (London) and Capital Museum (Beijing).
Highlights
Special feature
The jewels and sculpture of Wallace Chan: ‘Each piece becomes an opportunity to challenge myself’
Where art meets technology, Wallace Chan can be found creating dazzling pieces using materials selected for being ‘closest to eternity’
Viewing
Location
Christie’s London
8 King St, St. James’s
London, SW1Y 6QT
Viewing
4–10 September
Monday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Tuesday–Wednesday, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Thursday–Sunday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Contact
+44 (0)20 7839 9060
info@christies.com
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