SHANE/SHI YAN
Tokens of tomorrow
The Tokens of Tomorrow project reflects the notion of “function.” The Miao back buckle – once a practical ornament in traditional costume – has lost its role in contemporary fashion, reflecting the cultural assimilation of younger generations. By merging this element with a coin pusher machine from arcade culture, the work juxtaposes two marginalized objects to explore the decomposition and rebirth of function. The hybrid becomes an ironic “cultural currency,” that preserves material beauty while revealing the process of commodification. Made in silver, which echoes the metalwork of the Miao people, the buckle is transformed into a brooch – its function is dissolved yet its symbol is restored. The project raises a question of how art can recreate meaning for disappearing objects in conditions of cultural homogenization.
Material
Silver
Technique
Miao silver filigree technique
SHANE/SHI YAN, United Kingdom
Shane is a London-based artist and jewelry maker with a background in interior and product design. He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2023 and is currently studying Jewellery & Metal at the Royal College of Art. Drawn to self-expression and wearable art, he has focused on jewelry design, dividing his practice into traditional and contemporary directions. His work explores Eastern cultural contexts through ethnographic studies of identity, ritual, and craft, including the practice of the Miao, Dong and Tibetan Buddhist people. His creativity also extends into the fields of fine jewelry and works based on perception and sensory experience. His projects have been featured in YOUTH VISION magazine (issue 198) and exhibited in China, Los Angeles and London. He has also been a participating artist and curator in No Longer, Not Yet project at the Barbican Centre and ICA in London.
