Choked (necklace)
Photo by: Bob Toy; Medium: Paper, silver, safety pins; 5x131x3 in
Wedding Rings
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Apple, ice, brass, bronze, sand, silk stockings, acid, bubble gum, plastic, wood; 8x2.5x2.5 in
The Absurd World (ring)
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Wood, bronze, resin, cotton, pins; 6x5x4 in
Other Lives (rings)
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Brass, wood, bone, fabric, acrylic; 5x2x1.7 in
It Is (not) Working (automaton)
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Acrylic, brass, wood, resin, rubber, mini speaker components; 7x5.5x4 in
Collecting Myself (installation)
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Brass, silver, egg, rubber, copper, silk stockings, steel, paper, gourd; 47x70x2.7 in
Collecting Myself (installation - detail)
Photo by: Wanni Xiang; Medium: Brass, silver, egg, rubber, copper, silk stockings, steel, paper, gourd; 47x70x2.7

Wanni Xiang

Jewelry & Metal Arts / MA

Wanni Xiang has embraced art-making as a method for self-inspection, acceptance, and improvement. She now focuses on making interactive jewelry and installations. The process of designing and creating her art pieces turns into an opportunity to hold dialogues with herself and to vent her emotions.

She has created a series of works titled Collecting Myself, one of which includes an installation consisting of 28 mundane objects scattered on a wall. These objects, fabricated in different shapes and diverse materials, range from a coin attached to a blue balloon, to a magnifying lens placed on a yellow sponge. Each of these objects, upon reflection, represents a different aspect of Wanni's character. Collecting these forms together is a reminder of who she was formerly and who she hopes to be in the future.

Another piece in this series is a paper necklace titled Choked, which was created using paper-folding techniques to make giant black paper-beads. Asking strangers to write words that describe themselves onto these beads, Wanni wrote "social anxiety" as her own label. Through this interactive method of making this piece, she forced herself to break through her own fears by interacting with strangers.

Wanni enjoys incorporating unconventional materials and novel working practices to push the boundaries of jewelry art. In this process, she constantly finds new possibilities for herself as an artist and as a person.

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