Page 7 - Collection Jan 2021

P RO F I L E 人物
C My father was a sculptor. He taught me to take into account
With time-honoured heritage and
tradition, Europe has been home
to most, if not all, high jewellery
brands and maisons. 15 years
ago, if one were to ask about fine
jewellery, people would probably
come up with names like Van Cleef
& Arpels, Harry Winston and Graff,
which are all European. Today, if the
same question is being asked, the
answers can be much more diverse.
The journey that world-renowned
Taiwanese jewellery designer Cindy
Chao has gone through serves as
the validation of the saying, “An
uncut gem does not sparkle.”
歐洲創作珠寶的傳統歷史悠久，
一直是高級珠寶品牌的發源地。
15年前，高級珠寶品牌的表表者非
Van Cleef & Arpels、Harry Winston
及 Graff 等歐洲名牌莫屬，時至
今日，高級珠寶王國內百花齊放。
蜚聲國際的台灣珠寶設計師
趙心綺的成功之路，正好引證
「玉不琢，不成器」這句至理名言。
indy was raised in an environment in which creativity was much
cherished. Her grandfather was a noted architect and her father
a sculptor. “My grandfather always took me to the construction
sites of his architecture, and I was trained from a young age to
see the world in a structural and spatial way.
each angle, form and expression of what I observe, and to transform
observations into well-rounded creations,” the jewel artist recalled.
Aspired to be an architect following her grandfather’s footsteps, the
young Cindy decided to study architecture in New York before her
mother guided her to direct her creative talent on jewellery design, a
profession that is perceived as more feminine. “So instead of stones and
timber, I chose precious gemstones and metals,” she added.
“During my childhood, my ‘playground’ was my grandfather’s
studio and construction sites. In his studio, he showed me his
blueprints, and at his construction sites, he explained to me the
architectural concepts referring to the blueprints. Abstract at the
beginning, this process has gradually formed my three-dimensional
perspective to look at the world. I have ever since learnt and got used
to applying my imagination in a spatial context. My grandfather not
only shaped my mindset but also trained my eyes.I am particularly
sensitive to colour gradations and I find it indispensable to create
visual impact. I owe this to training from my grandfather back in the
days when there was not technology to rely on. At his construction
sites, he showed me the art of toning to create a palette of colours with
subtle nuances. I could not tell any differences with my naked eye in
the beginning, but he insisted and tried repeatedly until he found the
correct colour.”
趙心綺成長於洋溢創作力的氛圍，外祖父謝自南是台灣知名建築師，父
親則為雕塑家。她憶述：「外祖父常常會帶我到他的建築工地，幼受庭
訓，我自小善於以結構及空間的角度眼觀四方。爸爸是雕塑家，教曉我要
從不同角度、形式和表達方式觀察萬物，然後將觀察融入作品之中。」趙
心綺最初打算到紐約修讀建築，繼承外祖父衣缽，其後得到母親鼓勵，
將創作力投射到「似乎比較適合女生」的珠寶設計之上。她說：「就這
樣，我從與石頭和木材結緣，轉移至與寶石和金屬作伴。」
「小時候，外祖父的工作室和工地就是我的遊樂場。他會在工作室
向我展示建築藍圖，然後在工地依着藍圖向我解釋建築的概念。開始時
我覺得十分抽象，但過程中卻學會了以立體角度看世界，並以空間為脈
絡發揮想像力。外祖父不但幫我建立思維，同時還訓練我的觀察力。我
對顏色特別敏感，並覺得作品一定要在視覺上引人注目。那時候沒有科
技可以依賴，我的觸覺完全是拜外祖父當時的訓練所賜。他會在工地教
我調配分別極為細微的色漆，最初我憑肉眼根本察覺不到有任何分別，
但他會堅持不懈地嘗試，直至找到心目中的顏色為止。」
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