A nod to contemporary Singapore jewellery design
#SGJewelleryNow is the Asian Civilisations Museum’s first showcase of its kind
SINGAPORE has long had a thriving jewellery industry, with designers and brands to cater to every taste and budget. And now, creativity in the field is being honoured with a museum pop-up showcasing contemporary local jewellery design.
Following the Asian Civilisations Museum’s (ACM) exploration of “Asia in Fashion” as a curatorial theme since 2019, its outgoing director, Kennie Ting, says the museum is “now ready to venture into other contemporary forms of design, in particular jewellery and furniture”.
It is thus debuting #SGJewelleryNow, while also staging its third and final instalment of #SGFashionNow, featuring works by 28 established and emerging fashion designers.
In its first showcase of contemporary Singapore jewellery, six works by three local jewellery designers and houses are taking centre stage. Each of Edmond Chin, Foundation Jewellers and State Property’s pieces reinterprets aspects of South-east Asian heritage.
Singapore-born and Hong Kong-based Edmond Chin is a jewellery designer who founded his own salon, Etcetera, in 2001, and is also the creative director of Geneva-based high jewellery house, Boghossian.
He is a respected collector of Straits Chinese jewellery who donated an almost 400-strong collection to ACM’s jewellery gallery. The gallery, which spotlights island South-east Asian jewellery, is also where #SGJewelleryNow is being staged.
Meanwhile, Foundation Jewellers, which began as a goldsmith in 1976, is known for its handcrafted modern Peranakan jewellery. Its most famous work is the Bird of Paradise Brooch, which was presented to the late Queen Elizabeth II as a Diamond Jubilee gift in 2012 by then Singapore president Tony Tan. She was photographed multiple times wearing the brooch, which is a modern take on the kerosang – a decorative fastener used on blouses.
The third jeweller, State Property, was founded in 2015 by Central Saint Martins-trained Lin Ruiyin and industrial designer Afzal Imram. The couple produce contemporary fine jewellery with traditional craftsmanship. Famous fans of their work include actress Nicole Kidman, former US first lady Michelle Obama and American pop star Lady Gaga.
#SGJewelleryNow runs till Sep 1, 2024, in the Jewellery Gallery, Asian Civilisations Museum
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