Wallace Chan: Dream Light Water Exhibition

Forever Dancing Ragtim by Wallace Chan

To celebrate the launch of his first illustrated monograph, jewelry designer Wallace Chan will be exhibiting some of his masterpieces at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during Christie's fall auction week, November 26-30. Most of the pieces are on loan from collectors and none will be for sale.

Titled Dream Light Water, the exhibition illustrates Wallace Chan's craftsmanship and innovative use of materials, in particular titanium, as well as various carving techniques.

“Light is the key to the secret of each gemstone. I watch how it dances off the surface and within, and seek to liberate its vitality and set it free. With emptiness comes light, and with light comes wisdom. Light and wisdom bring harmony. I live and breathe light,” the jeweler says.

Though Chan's creative path began with sculptures of Buddha, he rose to international fame in the late 1980s with the now famous Wallace Cut, which combines Medieval cameo and intaglio carving to create a three-dimensional trompe l’oeil effect in miniature. Known for imbuing his creations with eastern philosophy, Chan was the first Asian jeweler to showcase his creations at the prestigious Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris in 2012; and he returned there in 2014.