Hong Kong jewellery designer Wallace Chan says he gets respect in Europe
Jewellery designer Wallace Chan says while he is fêted on the international stage, Hong Kong is not favourable for artists and creative people
It cost Wallace Chan a lot of money to showcase his jewellery designs to European royalty and the top stars of Hollywood and fashion. But it was worth it, he says, because he has received a level of respect he never gets at home in Hong Kong.
Chan is the first Asian to show his work at the Biennale des Antiquaires, which opened at the Grand Palais in Paris last Friday. "Here in Europe, people show respect and admiration for creative works," he said. "But you don't get this often in Hong Kong. In a place with such a mentality, how can you encourage creative and artistic work?"
"I hope that through this exhibition, more Hong Kong jewellery industry players and designers can find their way to the international stage."
It was an expensive stage: it cost Chan tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars to put together his exhibit - the most expensive exhibition he had yet participated in, he said.
The biennale, inaugurated in 1956 and now in its 26th edition, is organised by the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, a Paris-based antique dealers' association. This year it is showcasing 121 varied exhibitors including fine arts from ancient times, old masterpieces, modern and contemporary works, the decorative arts, antique furniture and high-end jewellery.
Like the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands, the biennale is cultivating a new client base in mainland China and elsewhere in Asia. It is planning to hold a mini-version of the biennale in new markets, including Hong Kong, next year.
Chan was invited to exhibit alongside world-famous European jewellery brands such as Harry Winston, Chaumet, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
