Title - ‘干杯 – Slàinte Mhath’ Brooch

Materials - 18ct Gold, Aluminium (repurposed cans of Tennent’s Lager & Snow Beer 雪花啤酒) Acrylic and Stainless Steel

Dimensions - 9cm x 9cm x 1cm

Date - 2025

The Friedrich Becker Prize 2026, presented triennially by the Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst e.V., commemorates the legacy of the influential goldsmith and kinetic artist Friedrich Becker. Recognised internationally as one of the most significant awards in contemporary jewelry and object design, the prize honours independent work of exceptional conceptual and technical quality. Since its establishment in 1999, it has highlighted leading practitioners whose work has shaped contemporary discourse in jewelry and metal.

For its tenth edition, selected works will be exhibited in Düsseldorf and Hanau, accompanied by a bilingual (German/English) publication by arnoldsche Art Publishers. While not awarded the principal prize, my work has been selected for inclusion in the exhibition and catalogue, situating it within this wider international presentation of contemporary practice.

This piece was created for the (Postponed) China International Contemporary Metal Art Exhibition and reflects my fascination with the transformative potential of precious and non-precious materials, merging traditional and experimental approaches while celebrating connections between place, culture and friendships formed through international exchange. Inspired by the spontaneity of single line drawings, it is composed of interlaced ribbon-like gold and aluminium ‘thread,’ with flashes of colour from meticulously sliced and reconstructed cans of Chinese Snow Beer (雪花啤酒) and Tennent’s Lager.

Wire-working techniques evolve in parallel with filigree to create ripples of visual movement, textures, and subtle colour variations. The result is playful yet invites a closer look—towards the details, associations, and quiet resonances carried by the materials themselves.