CSM Student Spotlight - Annie Tang
MEET ANNIE TANG, A RECENT GRADUATE FROM HJI’S CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS SHORT COURSE PROGRAMME
Having recently completed her Central Saint Martins (CSM) Short Course and currently attending the HJI Jewellery Making Ultimate Programme, Annie sat down with us to tell us about her journey, her inspirations and her recent experience with the year-long CSM course at HJI.
Tell us a little about yourself…
I’m extremely passionate about all things creative. I love both jewellery and art, and everything that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye!
I'm a free spirit when it comes to my personal choices. This led me to choose to pack up my life and relocate to Hong Kong for university, away from my home in Shanghai, China. Currently, during the day I work as an account manager in the cosmetics industry. In the evenings, I’ve been pursuing my passion for creating my own private label.
Have you ever made or designed jewellery before?
How did you get started?
I don’t have any formal training in jewellery design and craftsmanship. As a teenager, I loved watching Japanese anime. This encouraged me to learn simple sketching. Drawing detailed characters really got me started with sketching and drawing. This passion eventually led me to want to learn how to make my own jewellery.
Why Jewellery?
Hah! My answer to this is going to be surprisingly simple. Why would you want to wear a mediocre and overpriced designer piece when you can make your own?
Also, there is a great feeling attached to taking something you imagine and then bringing it to life, from creation in your mind to something physical and tangible that you or others can wear.
That’s inspiring! So you just graduated from the CSM Programme, congratulations! Tell us all about it.
I think the course is very well-thought-out. It really helped me with my goal to create my own jewellery collection. The synergy between the workshop and the design classes was great, they really complimented each other.
I loved being able to work on the bench at HJI, it allowed me to realise and modify my designs easily. The design classes really inspired me and focused on practical applications such as design processes.
Could you share a bit about how you learnt the design processes?
The CSM programme teaches you traditional methods of design processes. The process involved discovering your inspirations, and compiling mood boards.
We created initial hand sketches and digital sketches, these then allowed us to build models and prototypes. Our last step in the process was to create detailed technical drawings to support the final product design.
My favourite part was when the instructor encouraged us to reverse the whole process, this was really fun and felt spontaneous.
What were the inspiration behind your beautiful final project and your jewellery collection?
I drew my initial inspiration from the acclaimed British actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, I absolutely adore him, particularly the versatility of roles that he plays. After going through the design processes in the course, the mood boards, sketches and prototypes, I decided to switch my theme that was drawn from my personal life and experiences instead.
My collection, “All About Love’’ is inspired by all the types of love that I’ve experienced and those that exist.
The collection tells the story of my journey in finding new love, new friendships, self-love and spiritual love. I took all of this and poured it into my creations.
Annie’s final project. A beautiful statement piece, silver bangle and ring set inspired by the concept of love.
It’s so great to hear that you were able to bring your personal experiences into creating such an amazing collection. It seems you discovered so much throughout the CSM Programme. In fact, you are simultaneously taking the Ultimate Programme at HJI to further enhance your craftsmanship. How has it been taking both courses?
I’m really glad to be taking both courses. I think it has elevated my understanding of the basic techniques in jewellery making. Taking the Ultimate Programme is allowing me to practice techniques hands-on a lot more. In addition, it’s teaching me the restrictions, processes and use of materials which are all crucial to designing jewellery.
Much similar to playing chess or rock climbing, crafting jewellery requires you to plan your move several steps ahead. You are not restricted necessarily in any one particular way, but by understanding the skill and technique, you can be sure to reach your goal.
Is there any benefit of taking both the CSM programme and Ultimate Programme Course together?
I’m actually continuing my “All About Love’’ collection. Currently, I’m learning the art of gem setting, which I’m really excited to apply to my LOVE ring set. A 16-piece collection.
My biggest takeaway from the CSM course is the importance of design thinking. The process is very useful for anything you want to create. Ana [CSM instructor in London] inspired and encouraged me to pursue any idea or design I came up with. This really helped me unlock my creative potential.
Bianca [HJI instructor in Hong Kong] complimented this perfectly by focusing on the practical approaches and techniques in person and on the bench. This hybrid approach of online and offline was a great balance.
Thank you for taking the time to share this incredible journey with us. One last question for you, what’s coming next after you complete your course?
I’m actually building a simple jeweller's bench at home. I purchased lots of books to study and I intend to keep exploring trends and techniques. I hope to launch my own boutique private label soon!
Behind the scenes at HJI with Annie
We go behind the scenes with Annie DURING HER COURSE as
she works at HJI to build her jewellery collection
Join Us
For more information about the CSM Programme, join us at our Open House Dates on 22 & 26 September