Drill Thrill
Dream | Light | Water. World renowned Chinese born Hong Kong based London visiting Masterpiece exhibiting jewellery creator and artist extraordinaire Wallace Chan talks exclusively to Lavender’s Blue about nature, gemstones and the dentist. “When I see a flower fade it makes me feel sad. I want to capture the moment before that happens,” he says, dwarfed by the 2.2 metre high Rise of Heart next to him. Wallace informs us this fuchsia hued extravaganza is of honed titanium butterflies encircling a flower of amethysts, citrines and 1,000 rubies. “Do flowers attract butterflies or is it the other way round? I wonder about that relationship.” Wallace reveals, “I’m always very curious! I like to study the sky and earth, to capture the universe in my works. The universe is my teacher!” Yes, but what about the dentist? “I remember visiting the dentist when I was 12. I thought the drill could be used in the creation of jewellery. So, a visit to the dentist is a piece of memory!” And, it transpires, a lesson in craftsmanship. Today, Wallace Chan uses a modified dentist drill to carve designs in gemstones for his exhibition pieces.
