What is Yin & Yang?

(Symbol of Yin Yang)

In Chinese philosophy, the concept of Yin Yang (阴　Yin　阳　Yang) is used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are bound together, intertwined, and interdependent in the natural world, giving rise to each other in turn. The concept lies at the heart of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine and a central principle of several forms of martial arts and exercise, such as Taijiquan and Gung fu .


Yin-Yang, always has the following characteristics:

Yin Yang are opposing: Yin yang describe opposing qualities in phenomena. For instance, winter is yin to summer's yang over the course of a year, and femininity is yin to masculinity's yang in human relationships. It is impossible to talk about ying or yang without some reference to the opposite.
Yin yang are rooted together: Since yin and yang are created together in a single movement, they are bound together as parts of a mutual whole. A race with only men or only women would disappear in a single generation, but men and women together create a new generations that allow the race they mutually create (and mutually come from) to survive.

Yin yang transform each other: Like an undertow in the ocean, every advance is complemented by a retreat, and every rise transforms into a fall. Thus, a seed will sprout from the earth and grow upwards towards the sky - an intrinsically yang movement. Then when it reaches its full height, it will begin to weaken, and eventually will fall back to the earth in decay - an intrinsically yin movement. Yin always contains the potential for yang, and yang for yin.

Yin-yang are balanced:Yin-yang is a dynamic equilibrium. Because they arise together they are always equal: if one disappears, the other must disappear as well, leaving emptiness. This is rarely immediately apparent, though, because yang elements are clear and obvious while yin elements are hidden and subtle.

Yin and Yang pendant 2

Square Earth Round Heaven -- Yin and Yang Pandent 1

Front
Back

925 silver ebony wood

This pandent design I still follow the" square earth round heaven". Simultaneity, I add another chineses philosophy -- "Yin & Yang" .

This design is quite simple, I inlayed a 2mm silver wire into wooden part. It looks like Yin & Yang symbol, but i changed the traditional shape, make it more fashion.

When I choose materials to make this pandent, wood is becomed my priority option, because wood is one of natural objects growth between sky and land, it relate my "square earth round heaven" design.

square earth and round heaven 6

Gate of forbidden city

925 silver and 18k yellow gold

I melting the 18k yellow wire to the ball, look like decoration of the forbbiden city's gate. And inside of the ring it can spin.

What is square earth round heaven?

天圆地方(square earth round heaven) is traditional chinese philosophy, in ancient China, people believe that the sky as like a rounded dome, and the earth appear like flat / square. Chinese people also incorporate this philosophy into traditional architecture, like: Temple of Heaven, the main building is around, like heaven; the foundations and axes of the complex are square (or 2 dimensional - that is, flat), like the earth . Today, For 2008 Olympic Games, Chinese built the Water Cube(square), and Bird Nest Stadium(round) at opposite side. These two building reveal this philosophy(square earth round heaven) again.

square earth and round heaven 5

925 silver and 24k gold

Earth square and around heaven 4

925 silver, 24k gold wire, ebony wood.

King Chair

王=King
'King'ChairDesigned by Shao Fan
The design for this chair has been based on a traditional round chair ('yuan yi'), which is usually associated with high status, reflected also by the position the chair takes in the household.
Here, Shao Fan has added his own innovation, widening the round chair with the addition of new parts, and giving it the shape of a throne, making it an even more imposing figure.

(source from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/22138-popup.html)

Moon chair

月=Moon
Designed by Shao FanBeijing, China
In the 'Chairs' series, Shao Fan plays with modern man's fascination with the Chinese language and Chinese ideograms or written characters.
The design is based very much on the Chinese ideogram and the frontal view of the chair evokes the image of the crescent moon. However the seat breaks away from the continuity of the upright back and comes forward towards the viewer.

(Source from:http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/22140-popup.html)

Earth square and around heaven 3

I want to play for this ring, use different metrial; pattern and shape to describe one chinese philosophy.

mokume test piece

Mokume-gane it's a kind of metal technique in japan. My test piece fuised 12 layer silver and copper together.

Earth square and around heaven2

Above pictures are the finished piece of the toothpicks and wood ring. Toothpick made by bamboo, The bamboo and wood both are the ancient material in china. I want to discribe Chinese philosophy artistic conception--"squre earth around heaven" in my jewellery.

Earth square and around heaven1

This ring I want to use three different materals make it, silver wood and bamboo, I use c&c cut the wax mould, when we use c&c to cut this piece it's give us a lot of trouble, after six times finaly I get the perfect piece.

platinum pendant

Double twist plate with spike wire pendant , this piece is my platnum competition piece, the idea following my toothpick design but this time I use all platinum.

platinum piece

This necklace made from platinum, I just use the wire to go through the plate and hold on to the neck. This only a prototype I will make it in silver piece.

Toothpick Earring design sketch

This earring I adopted two layers of sliver plate, and use toothpick stab through these two layers. Two layers of sliver plate can represent more three-dimensional feeling.

Toothpick & Sliver Test Pieces

This test piece was made by toothpick and 0.5mm sliver plate. It inspired from last toothpick and paper test pieces. I want to use this form to make different type of jewellery.

In the process, I found the sliver plate is too thin, can not represent the third dimension. So I will choose more thick sliver plate in my following work.

Half Year Display

From the beginning of this year, I chosen my topic is Chinese design transform. I try to find the way that combine the traditional Chinese culture design and Chinese contemporary design elements into my design.

This topic that I chosed is quite wide. What is the Chinese design? What is China? What is Chinese style looks like? Although I am a Chinese, but I still feel confusion. Today's designer said: Chinese culture is still looking for order from out of order.

Before end of this term, my most inspiration get from the Chinese traditional and contemporary architecture. I will continue improving my design in next term.

Toothpick Test Pieces

The inspiration still from the "Nest" stadium. This time I want to make more three-dimensional, I try to created my own pattern from that stadium, so I optional insert the toothpicks to papper, I try to choose the interesting part from there. Then I re-combine them together.
This kind of pattern, give people more stand out, I think it will more interesting than normal pattern what I made before. The toothpick is made by bamboo, it will feel more Chinese style.

My 2008, My Olympiad -- 2

When people ask the "BirdNest" stadium designer, did you think about the Chinese culture elements in this design? Designer said: yes, we adopt the pattern from Chinese porcelain, the stadium form like container, can involvement lots of people inside. These are all related to Chinese culture.

By the way, this stadium design by Herzog and De Meuron Architecture AG, Switzerland, and China Architecture Design Institute.

2008 Olympiad wood ring

This year is Beijing Olympic Games, Beijing is my hometown, Chinese people built a lot of new stadiums for this great games. "Birdnest" stadium is my favorite architecture. So I call these two rings-- My 2008.
The inspiration of the ring get from the "Birdnest" stadium. I like the pattern on this architecture. I added new silver layer with the pattern on the normal wood ring.
When I finish these two rings, I found a lot of deficiencies, the pattern is too flat. Due to the whole stadium structure is very three-dimensional. So I still need to improve my design more three-dimensional, to display the graceful of whole architecture.