Midnight Tide Hei kakī by Elinn Yi Fang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Whakakai Competition Category.

HiriwaWhakakai· 2023

Midnight Tide Hei kakī

by Elinn Yi Fang

Client: Bijoux d'Elinn

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Whakakai Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #149862

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Midnight Tide Hei kakī

Ko Midnight Tide he hei kakī i hangaia ki te koura mā 18ct me ngā taimana kua whakaurua. E 79 ngā wāhanga o te hei nei i whakatauiratia takitahi, i whakarewaina ia wāhanga kia whai mahi motuhake, ā, i āhuahia i runga i te whakaaro ki ngā kōiwi tangata. Ka hono ngā wāhanga mā tētahi pūnaha hononga taketake i whakaawetia e ngā uaua here o te tinana, e puta ai te tōnui whakahaere me te nekehanga rere māori. I whakatauirahia, i whakaemihia, i whakarewaina anō ia wāhanga me te whakatika tino tōtika, ā, i whakapaia ngā hononga ki te ringa. Ko te āhua ka puta he whakamaharatanga ki te nekehanga o ngā tai o te moana puta noa i te pakihiwi.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Midnight Tide Hei kakī te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Midnight Tide Hei kakī he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Midnight Tide Hei kakī he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: To realize the artistic vision, the neckpiece consists of 79 meticulously modeled units, each cast to fulfill specific functions, resembling the distinctive shapes of human bones. Inspired by body ligaments, these units interconnect through an original linkage mechanism that delivers curated tension and choreographed movement. The combination engineers a textural unity that is simultaneously resilient and agile.
Dimensions & Packaging: 125mm x 3mm x 195mm
Tags: Bespoke jewellery, Necklace, Diamond neckpiece, Exquisite craftsmanship, Serenity, Artistic expression
Production Technology: Diamond inlaid 18ct White Gold, individually modelled and cast with 3D printing techniques that interconnect through an original linkage mechanism. Relentless trial and error and countless prototyping culminated in the final engineering of the structure.
Design Challenge: In order to achieve visual harmony and convey the intended artistic vision, the neckpiece required specific qualities in terms of texture, color, and reflection. The desired movement is achieved by meticulously crafting each individual unit with subtle variations. This involved a precise and laborious process of manipulating the hardened 18ct Gold wires in order to control the angle, direction, and extent of joint movements, similar to the way ligaments function in the human body. The goal was to attain a universal balance across all units and joints, which required significant effort and attention to detail.
Research: Visual qualities: Inspired by oceanic movements and tidal imageries, artist made pencil studies and observations that progressed seamlessly from figurative sketching to the finalized abstract form.
Engineering: The adult human body comprises 206 individual bones, each with a unique shape and function in facilitating movement. The engineering of this neckpiece is influenced by the anatomical structure of body joints.
Inspiration: The neckpiece crystallizes the inner serenity to which the artist is drawn. The piece is reminiscent of the frothy ebbs of midnight tides, draping effortlessly over one's shoulder: mimicking the fluidity of a wave caressing down the coastline, imbuing the pulse of the ocean into the wearer's very being.
Project Duration: Starting April 2022 during the 2 month city-wide lockdown in Shanghai, and finished in January 2023, Shanghai.
Operation Flow: The design process originated from the shaping of the piece that was completed within one sitting. The artist then came up with different structures to combine and separate the materials in order to achieve the fluidity and strength of the shaping. Each unit was prototyped, assembled, and recast with precise adjustment. After more than 10 types of structural redesign and finishing, the joint movements were individually fine-tuned by hands to enable desired movements multi-dimensionally.
Team Members: Elinn Fang
Image Credits: Image No.1-5: Mo Zhou
Video: Lin Zhu
Copyrighting: Simone Zhang