Yage Chen

About

Yage Chen

Jewellery and fashion accessory designer

Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Jewelry Design from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and a Master’s in Fashion from the Royal College of Art in the UK, she is dedicated to investigating the connection between humans and nature. Through her work, she aspires to convey these explorations in a poetic manner, utilizing diverse materials.

I Am Not There, I Did Not Die

2024

Live Moss Collected from the Cemetery, Resin, Silver, and More.

Nature resembles a web, with humanity occupying only a small corner of it. Yet, when one departs from this world, they transform into particles, dust, and energy within the network, nourishing other forms of life.

This process is akin to a poem.

“If one day I depart,

My body will return to the earth, merging with the world.

I will become part of it—

Flowing into you, into them,

Into mountains and rivers,

Into singing birds and swimming fish.

I am not here; I am everywhere.”

I find this process profoundly intriguing. In this light, perhaps we need not fear death; it is merely a transformation of energy within the natural world.

This contemplation led me to cemeteries, where I observed that the coolness and humidity foster the growth of plants and mosses. When a person passes away, their body decomposes through the action of microorganisms, releasing energy that nourishes the flora in the cemetery. In this view, we might say that these plants carry forth the essence of the departed.

I began to ponder how I could create pieces for those who mourn their loved ones. Inspired by this thought, I collected moss from the cemetery and designed a series of jewelry that reflects this sentiment. For those who miss someone they’ve lost, you can gather moss from their grave and cultivate it as a living tribute. The harvested moss is nurtured on a unique base, allowing you to grow it in a box or wear it as part of your jewelry. I incorporated elements of skeletons and cemetery moss to symbolize themes of death and rebirth.

When a person dies, their body is swiftly decomposed by microorganisms, leaving behind only the skeleton. Consequently, skulls and skeletons have become universal symbols of death. Yet, death does not signify an absolute end. Mosses, as vibrant living organisms, flourish on the very nutrients derived from this “death,” embodying the essence of new life.