Ziyu Cai’s project investigates the concept of visual illusion, through design work that explores optical art. Cai’s inspired by the famous work of Bridget Riley and Patrick Hughes, to create contemporary jewellery that, when not being worn, can also be displayed as a painting, to continue to show its value. 

Cia is interested in using the concept of illusion to question people’s underlying assumptions- How can a piece of jewellery focus the viewers’ attention on the act of viewing itself? In today’s society, people are living in a hurry. Cai hopes that their work can grab the attention of the audience, stop them in their tracks, and help them consider that what we appear to see might not be the whole story. Is it real when you see something? Is it true that you hear something? Did you really feel it when you touched something? As Aristotle once said: ‘Our senses can be trusted, but they can easily be fooled’.”