Exploring contemporary jewellery and commercial jewellery.

Qianjun Ye’s range of jewellery for young people explores the concept of Wabi-sabi, as a way of improving young people’s self-image.

Wabi-sabi is a component of Japanese aesthetic consciousness that generally refers to something simple and calm. The concept of Wabi-sabi was inspired by Chinese Zen studies. Onishi Yoshinori studied Wabi-sabi, which consists of three meanings: silence, antiquity, and the nature of things. Wabi-sabi admits that life is complex and worships simplicity. It acknowledges three simple facts: nothing lasts forever, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. By accepting these three facts, one can accept contentment as a mature guy. Characteristics of Wabi-sabi include asymmetry, roughness or irregularity.

 As Ye says: “Young people in today’s society fight day and night to pursue a perfect life. At the gathering of friends and family, they always want to show their perfect selves. Over time, such self-pressure as well as under social pressure, often leaves many young people out of breath and afraid to face the reality of their own imperfection. However, life is never perfect. Nothing created by nature is perfect, there are always flaws and cracks. In this impatient and stressful society, the only way to live a happy life and see the beauty of the world is to keep a calm and accepting heart of imperfection.”