The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī by XU Jiawen Karmen

The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī by XU Jiawen Karmen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Lei a me Kahiko Competition Category.

KalaLei Kahiko· 2026

The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī

by XU Jiawen Karmen

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Lei Kahiko Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī

He hoʻihoʻi koʻikoʻi kēia lei ʻāʻī i ka mea kāhiko, e ʻoi aku ma mua o nā hōʻailona waiwai a e nānā i ka ʻoluʻolu, ke olakino a me ka ʻike moʻomeheu. Aia i loko ona kekahi ʻōnaehana kaupaona hope hou e kākoʻo ana i ka ergonomics olakino, e hōʻemi ana i ke koʻikoʻi, a e ʻae ana i ka mea komo e hāpai iā ia iho me ke kūlana kūpono a me ka hilinaʻi maoli. Hōʻike ia i ka hohonu moʻomeheu a me ka ʻike pilikino: ke poepoe a me ke huinahā e hōʻike ana i ka naʻauao Hikina o ke kaulike ʻana i ka maʻalahi a me ka pono. He hiʻohiʻona ikaika kēia hana o ka mea kāhiko e hoʻohanohano ana i ke kino, e hoʻonui ana i ka ʻuhane, a e hoʻopili ana i nā kānaka i nā moʻolelo o ko lākou hoʻoilina.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā The Wisdom of Balance Hana Nui: Lei ʻāʻī e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: In an era where jewelry design often prioritizes aesthetics over wearability, The Balance of Wisdom pioneers a paradigm shift by integrating ergonomic innovation with cultural depth. This pendant necklace features a revolutionary rear counterbalance system that redistributes the weight of the front pendant, significantly reducing cervical strain and enhancing long-term comfort. By alleviating the physical burden, the design allows the wearer to move with effortless grace, embodying a poised and confident demeanor. This innovative approach reaffirms that jewelry’s true value lies in its ability to enhance, rather than burden, the human experience—honoring the body while enriching the spirit.
Dimensions & Packaging: Front: 43cm in length, 145g in weight (beads and front pendant)
Back: 27cm in length, 94g in weight (beads and rear pendant)
Front pendant size: 4x4x2.5cm
Rear pendant size: 7x9x2.5cm
Tags: Counterbalance Pendant Necklace, Ergonomic Jewelry, Cultural Heritage Design, Middle Way Philosophy
Production Technology: Crafted from a curated selection of Nanhong agate, turquoise, and agarwood, the necklace features a striking red jade Cong pendant at the front—an ancient ritual vessel historically used to connect heaven and earth. This is paired with an old multi-hole Tibetan Dzi bead at the back, creating a dialogue between ancient craftsmanship and modern design sensibilities.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was achieving the precise weight balance between the front and rear pendants. Through iterative testing of over 12 different weight and length configurations, the design was refined to ensure optimal comfort and posture support without compromising aesthetic impact. Furthermore, in a luxury market often defined by excess, this project sought to redefine jewelry’s purpose: to create objects that honor the body, enrich the spirit, and connect us to the stories that define us. This required a deliberate rejection of superficial opulence in favor of intentionality and meaning.
Research: The jade Cong pendant is a cube of red agate with a round hollow, drawing from the ancient Chinese cosmology of “round sky and square ground.” Historically, Cong were vital ritual objects symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, and markers of nobility and authority. In this design, the juxtaposition of square and circle becomes a modern metaphor for the Eastern wisdom of balancing flexibility and integrity—qualities essential for sustainable relationships and personal well-being. This philosophical underpinning is mirrored in the counterbalance structure, which is engineered to support physical health, creating a holistic design that nurtures both body and spirit.
Inspiration: Rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of the “Middle Way,” The Balance of Wisdom reinterprets the wisdom of balance as a living practice, not an abstract concept. This necklace embodies the ideal of navigating life with both flexibility (symbolized by the circle) and integrity (symbolized by the square). The front pendant, a jade Cong, vividly materializes this duality—its square outer form and round inner hollow echoing the cosmology of “round heaven, square earth.” The rear counterbalance design is not merely a technical solution but a tangible practice of this philosophy, ensuring the wearer carries themselves with natural poise, free from the physical burden of traditional heavy pendants. This design redefines adornment as a vessel for cultural resonance and personal identity, moving beyond mere symbols of wealth to become a quiet assertion of wisdom and intentionality.
Project Duration: 1 month, Hong Kong
Operation Flow: The rear pendant acts as a precise counterweight, carefully calibrated to offset the front pendant’s mass. Through rigorous testing of various weight and length configurations, the design achieves a perfect equilibrium: the front section (145g, 43cm) and rear section (94g, 27cm) work in harmony to promote a naturally healthy posture. This meticulous attention to ergonomics not only conforms to the body’s needs but also exudes a dignified, ancient beauty, creating a seamless fusion of function and form.
Team Members: Xu Jiawen Karmen
Image Credits: Image/Photo/Video: Xu Jiawen Karmen
Sound: Ao Ri Ge Le
Model: Xu Jiawen Karmen