by
Photo: YEWN
It is on a late morning in a colonial bungalow tucked within the Botanic Gardens precinct that I have my first, and rather unusual, encounter with Dickson Yewn. The jewellery designer is present, but he introduces himself and his new Literati collection by way of a long Chinese painting hand-scroll laid out on a centrepiece table.
Depicting him and his family as ancient characters, the artwork portrays a hive of activity within a traditional Chinese mansion complete with its own manicured garden. And this scene of leisurely refinement captures the essence of the man and the story he wanted to tell for his new jewels.
A hand-scroll painting commissioned by Dickson Yewn depicting himself as an ancient Chinese scholar (Photo: YEWN)
A significant evolution in his brand YEWN‘s 25 years of creative history, which has always drawn from Chinese culture, Literati seeks to bring the influence and aesthetics of traditional Chinese scholar-officials into the modern jewellery landscape. As he explains, it is this class of intellectuals who held immense cultural sway throughout the country’s imperial history.
Displayed along the walls of the bungalow’s living room are his signature square-shaped bangles and rings — all boasting design links to the historic elites. The angular, latticed designs recall Chinese decorative patterns; materials like porcelain, jade, and sandalwood are used; and beloved flowers like lilies, narcissus, and plum blossoms are represented. The collection also flaunts the ancestral techniques of cloisonne enamelling and inlaying accomplished on a micro-scale.
However, despite the abundance of motifs, this is the first time the designer has drawn inspiration from the paintings of real artists and not from the material culture of China. “I don’t use any Chinese symbolism and icons in this collection, yet it’s utterly Chinese-looking!”
From left: Blossoming White Jade Orchid ring, Hibiscus by the Water bangle inspired by Tang Yin, and Plum Blossom ring inspired by Ba Da Shan Ren — all from the Literati collection (Photos: YEWN)
His Literati works are interpretations of Chinese concepts of art and space, with several showpieces evoking renowned works by Song and Ming dynasty painter-poets Zhao Mengjian, Ba Da Shan Ren, and Tang Yin. But one particular inspiration that delighted the guests is none other than our Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, which he has paid homage to in his National Flower Square Ring, the first in the Literati series of such tribute rings.
Also featured during this presentation are delicately bejewelled butterfly brooches, some dazzling with diamonds, and some looking incredibly realistic with true-to-life patterns. It’s boring to wear it on the chest, Yewn quips as he attaches it to a guest’s sleeve. More from his previous collections awaits in the dining room, where on show are Chinese vases and emblematic flowers and plants of the 12 lunar months miniaturised as gem-set pendants.
More than mere adornments, YEWN creations are objets d’art. And some of his most discerning customers, like Michelle Obama who wore the Lattice Jadeite ring to a US state dinner for the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, would agree. We speak to the man, who trained and worked in fine arts and film, on how he sees jewels as a medium for individual expression and cultural continuity.
The former US First Lady Michelle Obama donning a YEWN Lattice Jadeite ring to a state dinner in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (Photo: YEWN)
How has your education and working experience in the West shaped your approach?
Philosophically speaking, because of knowing the West through my brain, I see the East in my heart. Because of my Western education, I treasure the uniqueness of the only living, pictographic language (Chinese) remaining in the world; and because of the logical thinking of my Western working experience, I learn how to navigate the ambiguity of my Asian working experience.
Why have you chosen to work largely with squarish shapes for your rings and bracelets.
From a branding angle, I have succeeded in making my brand one of the most unique in the world because no one dares to take this squarish path as deep as I do. From the aesthetic point of view, square and circle complement each other in Eastern philosophy, it is as simple as men being the opposite, or the complementary of women.
Apart from a strong Chinese influence, what are the signature Dickson Yewn stylistic elements?
There is a strong Chinese cultural influence to others, but I do not see the brand as being influenced by Chinese culture. My point is such that when I go home to eat my dinner, I don’t need to say that I’m going home for a “Chinese” dinner”. It is important for artists and designers to learn to see and do things from our own perspectives, and de-emphasize Western perspectives.
The other signature YEWN’s stylistic element would be my extensive use of wood throughout all my collections. Besides the signature wood, I also use materials such as carbon fibre and high-temperature porcelain.
Pieces from YEWN’s past collections, such as the Floral Lattice Autumn Lotus Pond ring on left, and the Cloisonne Falancai Peony square bangle on right (Photos: YEWN)
What do you see as your contribution to the world of modern fine jewellery?
Forgive me for not being humble enough to admit that my contribution is to fill the hundred-year void of contemporary Chinese fine jewellery history, seeing it from the Western lens. From my own perspective, it is to continue the broken link of our own culture.
Furthermore, my other unique take is to create a crossover platform for my collaboration with many masters of intangible cultural assets, such as Master Xiong of cloisonne enamel, Master Gan of woodcraft and lacquerware, and other great masters of gold and shell inlay techniques. This platform allows me to become the highway to bridge these cultural assets to the modern world of fine jewellery and contemporary art.
Your works are derived from 5,000 years of Chinese history with a treasure trove of ancient skills.
Nowadays we can proudly say that our workshop is based in China, while Hong Kong and the rest of the world have lagged behind in many areas of advancement and innovation in modern craftsmanship. We have enough artisans handling the core of our creations like wax carving and model-making, the rest we rely on the talented craftsmen in other areas of material culture needed to finish and refine my works, as well as modern technology and tools.
What are some of the challenges or highlights in reviving these crafts?
The biggest challenge is to employ techniques which are commonly not used in fine jewellery-making, such as the joinery technique in traditional Chinese architecture and furniture-making. We use it in joining the gold, gemstone and wood together. The shell-inlaid technique is also being transferred to our own use, and become gold-inlaid in wood and jade. Other complicated traditional techniques only used in imperial workshops is the cloisonne enamel technique, which we have proudly modernised with advanced technology and tools.
Two versions of the Vanda Miss Joaquim Orchid square ring in the Literati collection, the left in blackwood and the right in walnut (Photos: YEWN)
Tell us more about the Vanda Miss Joaquim ring.
We used mostly gold inlaid on wood besides the traditional fine jewellery techniques. And the allure of this tropical orchid is interpreted by my very own Literati vision of asymmetry and the implied beauty of an empty space.
How does your brand’s affinity for Chinese culture resonate with the rest of the world?
My brand’s affinity is not limited to Chinese audiences; it resonates with those in the world who refuse to be caged in a mono-culture hegemony. There is a Chinese saying that “The moon is always rounder on the other side of the earth”, and this same feeling would apply to all Western consumers as well. When intangible culture is reincarnated into tangible forms, familiarity is instantaneous as beauty speaks to everyone.
As a lover of butterflies, you reference your brooch designs from guide books. Why is this creature so important to you?
Through their creation, I, as an artist instead of the creative director for YEWN, continue my lifelong vision of my No Man’s Land series since the 1990s. It showcases to the world a certain form of beauty has been systematically chosen to be ignored by the public: the fragility of feminine beauty, mother nature, or the true-to-form beauty of the butterfly species.
Sounds pretentious and complicated? Just try going to the luxury jewellery stores and ask the supposedly well-trained sales person what is the name of the butterfly. They would for sure not be able to tell you the exact name or species, but they’d be able to name a flower piece immediately.
Lifelike butterfly brooches from Dickson Yewn’s No Man’s Land artistic series (Photos: Singapore Press Holdings)
What is your plan for them?
They are all individual, one-of-a-kind pieces because of the unique materials, especially wood, being used on each piece. My goal is to feature 60 species of different butterflies to complete a full sexagenarian cycle, which represents a full spectrum of life cycle in Chinese astrology and philosophy.
I have made 38 species so far, and my selection process is based on my preference on species that are less conspicuous, especially brownish ones that can easily camouflage themselves and blend into their habitats to avoid predators. And I have used 75 species of wood to mimic different brownish tints of their wings.
What else is next?
My next collection’s theme would be on intangible cultural assets, mainly touching on the three pillars of Chinese intellectual foundations: Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
