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By: Frances Lord
Frances Lord explores the practice of Chien-Wei Chang, his route into practice and how his cultural background is reflected in his work.
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Chien-Wei Chang, ‘Huge Ladle’, gilding metal (silver platted), padauk (wood), 2005.
Photo: Stephen Brayne.
Taiwanese metalsmith Chien-Wei Chang, currently based in Cockpit Studios in Holborn, moved to the UK in 2000 at the age of 29. He often makes works in series, such as ‘Ladles’ and ‘Containers for Spirits’, from a combination of metal and wood or bamboo, as well as more sculptural one-off pieces.
His route into making contemporary craft objects was from a family background in commercial jewellery and retailing: his mother ran a jewellery, design and accessories shop in Taichung, Taiwan’s third city; this experience and early exposure to the commercial craft and design world proving invaluable when he came to run his own business.
Chang’s work has attracted much attention since he graduated in 2004 with representation at Collect at the V&A Museum in 2007 and at Origin, Somerset House, London in 2006 and 2007, as well as the group show ‘Urban Field’ at the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham and ‘In the Window’ at Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, both in 2007.
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Chien-Wei Chang, ‘Every Time When I think of My Childhood Hometown’, gilding metal, padauk (wood), 2007.
Photo: Andra Nelki.
Chien-Wei Chang’s cultural background, and experience of moving to a foreign country, is evident in much of his work; he says he tries to use his cultural background “as a resource and as an inspiration”.
A row of found objects, hung from string and presented much like an installation of finished work in Chang’s highly ordered small workshop space at Cockpit studios in Holborn, demonstrates his interest in functional objects and utensils. Objects such as wooden spoons, battered and missing sections, bearing evidence of unknown and chequered histories, and other implements and metal containers, all are there to be used as a resource for new works:
“Each time I look back at my cultural roots to seek inspiration. In particular I am fascinated with the rough, raw utensils that were used by aboriginal tribes in ancient Taiwanese society 3500 years ago. I try to transfer the most humble daily object into a meaningful artwork with an almost spiritual quality.”
Chien-Wei Chang’s first degree was in German Language and Literature at the Soochow University in Taipei, Taiwan in the mid 1990s. He says he chose German “as something different” to the more usual English studies of his Taiwanese contemporaries. Before moving to the UK he lived for a short time in Germany to study the language.
Returning to Taiwan from Germany, Chang enrolled on a gemology course, then got an ‘office job’ at Tiffany’s International in Taiwan. At the age of 29 he decided to leave Tiffanys and began to apply for jewellery design courses in Europe. Despite no formal training, he was accepted onto the MA in Silversmith & Jewellery Allied Crafts degree at London Guildhall University in 2000. Tutor Simone ten Hompel was an important influence from the very beginning, encouraging Chang, in line with the course philosophy, to concentrate on the development of ideas.
During the MA study Chang “absorbed as much Western culture and art history as possible” and explored working with a variety of materials, always focusing and majoring on metal. After finishing his MA in 2002, Chang decided that he needed more time to develop his technical skills, and enrolled on a two-year City & Guilds course in Silversmithing in 2003. This technical training, and subsequent time spent working as a workshop assistant for former tutor Simone ten Hompel, further honed his skills and assisted in his decision to focus on silver and metal.
“I love metal because of the characteristics of the material. The process of making a metal work: treating it with fire to anneal it, using hammers to translate the invisible ideas into visual forms, and bathing it in water to clean it. When I put metal, especially silver, into the acid to purify it and turn it white, it feels as though I have finished a personal ritual – almost like a baptism.”
The silver elements for works such as the ‘Ladle Series’ and ‘Containers for Spirits’ are made either by hand-raising or by hammering soldered pieces of metal: a laborious and repetitive process requiring both patience and skill.
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Chien-Wei Chang, ‘Ladle Series 2004’, silver, rose wood, suede, 2004.
Photo: Andra Nelki.
“...I made a crucial decision in my life to leave my country and start a new life in this foreign city. Despite the big impact of the differences in terms of culture, politics, geography etc, learning how to abandon the old knowledge about this world and refill the new understanding inside me has already become a daily ritual. Driven by this motivation, I created this series of ladles.”
Chien-Wei Chang has made several Ladle Series. The first was developed in 2004, each ladle made from silver combined with rosewood handles, and exhibited in a number of craft galleries, including Scottish Gallery (Edinburgh), then in London at the CAA and Collect. A second Ladles Series was developed in 2006, this time combining silver with bamboo; Chang deliberately choosing materials traditionally associated with both the East and West.
Feeling the need to prepare properly for setting up his own studio, Chang enrolled on the one-year DPP (Developing Professional Practice) course at Cockpit Studios, which is open to non-studio members, to train in Business and Marketing, finishing in 2005.
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Chien-Wei Chang, ‘Containers for Spirits’, silver (oxidised), gold, 2005-6.
Photo: Andra Nelki.
Following this he was invited by the Crafts Council to participate in their ‘One-Year-On’ exhibition at New Designers in 2005 from which followed contacts and exhibiting opportunities with Flow Gallery, Dazzle, Lesley Craze and the Crafts Council Shop at the V&A. The New Designers exhibitions “got me started and making shows”. This time also coincided with moving into Cockpit Studios in Holborn, where he now shares a busy crowded studio with three other jewellers.
Chien-Wei Chang’s first solo show was in 2006 at the Clerkenwell Green Association in London where he was offered an award of £1,500 to develop a new body of work. Welcoming the opportunity to experiment with new ideas, he chose to focus on more sculptural one-off pieces and more conceptually driven work, a development from the ‘Ladles’ and ‘Containers for Spirits’ series. Many positive outcomes resulted from the show in terms of new contacts and sales from collectors, and further exhibition opportunities.
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Chien-Wei Chang, ‘One After Another’, silver, found objects, ebony (base), 2007.
Photo: Andra Nelki.
In terms of future plans Chien-Wei Chang is exhibiting a new body of work in a small-scale solo show at Contemporary Applied Arts, London in June 2008. He is creating a series of new pieces under the theme of ‘exploring the meaning of objects’, asking the question – can craft objects deliver a social message that reaches out to a wider audience?
He also has work at the Scottish Gallery, Lesley Craze and the Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool. He wishes to extend to Europe in the near future with the aim of producing new work for up to three major shows each year, making larger work and larger scale exhibitions each time, and also hopes to travel to the USA where he has had contact with buyers.
Frances Lord is a consultant and curator based in East Sussex specialising in public art and commissioning. Her background is in the crafts and she worked at the Crafts Council from 1984 – 1994. She co-curated ‘Jewellery is Life’ and ‘Prickings’ for Fabrica, the contemporary visual arts gallery in Brighton.
Frances now works with a range of individuals and organisations including local authorities, environmental agencies, museums and galleries initiating, developing and managing projects. Frances runs seminars on ‘Negotiating Public Art Commissions’ and mentors visual and applied artists wishing to gain experience and develop their practice in public art.
She is Public Art Advisor to West Sussex County Council, an Associate for Artpoint and a Commissions Advisor for Axis. In April 2008 she was invited to lecture on public art at the Meiji University, Tokyo as part of their ‘Foreign Scholar Invitation Programme’.
First published: a-n.co.uk June 2008
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