Today we’d like to introduce you to Zhuwei Lu.
Hi Zhuwei, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in a suburb of Shanghai, China. After graduating from high school, I went to college in Wuhan to learn the Chinese traditional art of lacquer. After college, she chose to pursue her dream of becoming a jewelry designer and came to the United States to study jewelry design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The new world gave me a broader mind and I learned more techniques such as electroforming, a technique I was attracted to because it transforms the intangible into the tangible and grows a very interesting texture, and I gradually came up with my own philosophy of jewelry design through trial and error.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think there are any shortcuts or easy ways to learn anything. I did not study jewelry design before, so it was a completely new field for me. I did start with the basics of metalsmithing, and the process took many twists and turns. For example, soldering, the different melting points of each metal and the melting points of each different solder lead to different results, which is sometimes really irritating.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The works of mine focus on the possibilities between metals, I enjoy experimenting with different techniques to explore metals, such as electroforming, casting or soldering, and I am happy to work with even the most basic metals such as copper, brass and bronze.
I used to study Chinese lacquer making, a relatively traditional and tedious handicraft. Electroforming, as I have chosen to do now, is a process in which copper ions are replaced on the piece, layer by layer, and eventually grow into a complete piece of jewelry. In contrast to the common way of processing jewelry by subtracting some parts from the original material to form the final shape, electroforming and lacquer making are both additive processes, which add material to the original piece to achieve the desired form; this is what ties the present and past jewelry designs of my work together.
In my previous work, I simply studied copper and used electroforming as a technique but was more interested in the form of the design. However, I also wanted my work to be exploratory and diverse. This deceptively simple metal has a strong attraction for me to explore the transformation amongst metals. I chose the technique of electroforming to illustrate the process of transformation, in which copper ions flow in solution and adhere to another surface, forming textures that are uncontrollable which in turn create more possibilities.
I continue to create my jewelry in the direction of contemporary jewelry, which belongs to the current era, using the simplest and most rustic materials for research. Basically, I use only copper as a base metal material and electroforming as a technique. The electroforming solution is recyclable, and the current used in electroforming is very low. Therefore, the whole process of electroforming is very simple. However, it can also create very interesting patterns and effects. After studying electroforming for a while, I was no longer satisfied with one technique and tried to fuse the electroformed copper and wax to perform multimetal-casting, which resulted in very interesting textures and shapes.
My research on metals will not stop. I will do more different research and experiments and will explore more in terms of forms. By studying the properties of different metals and combining them with other non-traditional materials, I will explore the techniques of processing and transformation in order to expect to make breakthroughs not only in materials and techniques but also to broaden people’s perception of contemporary jewelry design through creation.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Personally, I think there are a lot of opportunities in the jewelry design industry in China because the industry in my country is in its infancy, and I am confident that I can contribute to this industry. That’s why I came to the United States to study jewelry design. The three years I spent here gave me a very different perspective, and I saw a lot of interesting concepts and ideas in jewelry which will help me to make my brand in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zhuweilujewelry.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/zwl_balang_jewelry/
Image Credits:
1. The Flower of Thorn V Brooch Copper, Silver, 24K Gold Leafing 2. The Flower of Thorn VI Necklace Copper, Silver, 24K Gold Leafing 3. Format of Alchemy IV Brooch Copper, Silver, Stainless Steel(pin) 4. The Flower of Thorn III Brooch Copper, Silver, 24K Gold Leafing Stainless Steel(pin)
