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Enteroctopus Jewellery Design by Rachel Tan Hui Min |
Home > Winners > Design #75513 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
RT: This collection was first inspired by a trip to Ripley's Aquarium of Canada where I witnessed so many wondrous and beautiful deep sea creatures firsthand. They were breathing and moving so naturally in their habitat, suspended in space in a world so different from ours. Frantically trying to record all their scientific names, I was awed by the complexity of the marine ecosystem. Breaking down each kingdom into its phylum, then class, then order, then family, then genus, then species opened my eyes to the endless permutations of God's creativity in forming each unique creature. Each so distinct in its existence.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
RT: Through this collection, I want to transcribe just a little of that wonder and provide a window into depths beyond our human reach. These pieces also meld influences from African textile patterns, Moroccan art, French renaissance ceiling paintings, Italian renaissance faience plates, Gothic wood inlays and Byzantine mosaic patterns. Transcending cultures, space and time, I hope to encapsulate the beauty of His creations in timeless pieces marked by geometry play and bold and accented forms. I hope you will experience the same awe and also be reminded of our role as protectors of our precious ecosystem.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
RT: My future plans is to meld technology, arts and business in future transforming jewellery into wearable technology. Through this process I hope to encourage cross-discipline thinking and practice and spur the creation of useful design combined with aesthetic value and develop the market for them.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
RT: It took me several months to do an in-depth study of my subject matter for the project and then transcribe and encapsulate key distinct characteristics into wearable art. Further thinking and research was then needed to address the challenge of mounting the jewellery on the human body, create it using the right material for appropriately pricing the product and sizing everything appropriately.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
RT: The design was inspired from my personal travels and experiences and borne out of a heart of wonder, awe and thanksgiving.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
RT: I intend to produce the work myself for my growing clientale base.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
RT: I enjoy the medium of jewellery design as to me it is a form of artistic poetry. There are constraints within the practice in terms of material, cost and manufacturing and these challenges present themselves to me as interesting puzzles to take apart and solve. I love jewellery as it is almost like a type of wearable sculpture art that accentuates the human form and wearer. There is an element of personal identity linked to the art form that is mesmerising to me.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
RT: Yes, I was inspired by art deco artists and vintage jewellery designers that captured the spirit of their time and age with boldness, class and vivaciousness.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
RT: My target customer is the modern woman who appreciates art as a reflection of one's spirit and personality. She is fearless and confident, lives life to the fullest, connects to larger causes and is not afraid to express herself in a distinct and unique way.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
RT: Enteroctopus comes form the scientific Latin genus name of the Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus Dofleini). The creature is a large marine cephalopod found in the intertidal zone and has bilateral symmetry, a shell gland, a mantle, and a well-developed head with sucker-covered arms.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
RT: Designs were hand drawn with graphite pencils and colour pencils and then transferred to Adobe Photoshop to edit colour and size.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
RT: This particular design is unique in its desire to meld both organic and architectural forms. It maintains its structural integrity around the neck while also incorporating flexibility into the design. The end result is a statement piece distinct in its shape and form.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
RT: 3D design was required to understand how the frame of the piece would sit around the neck with appropriate space at the back for a clasp.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
RT: I had to do scientific research to understand this particular species of octopus and capture its essence in the design and accompanying haiku written for it.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
RT: This was the first piece of jewellery that I produced and had manufactured and I learnt how to work with my team to communicate the design and also interact with different materials to understand how I could use them effectively to create the right product with the right price point and aesthetics.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
RT: Poiesis Jewellery is a budding Singapore based fine jewellery company curated for the modern woman. With the launch of its first collection it hopes to contribute effectively to enlarging the visual repertoire for what is possible with jewellery in Singapore and Asia and inspire and empower women with its designs.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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