With the expressive and open possibilities from its theme of peace, the 18th HRD Design Awards found a cache of fresh designers that wowed the judges in one of the largest number of contestants for the annual competition.
HRD Antwerp had more than 1,500 participants who entered more than 1,600 designs in its global competition. That’s nearly double the 800 contestants it had in its last edition, organizers say. The jury selected a total of nine winning pieces and one overall competition winner, all of which were announced on Jan. 23 at Teatro Palladio during VicenzaOro January.
Chinese jewelry designer Wang Xuerui received the overall design win for her piece, Mutualistic. Wang’s design was judged on its relevance to the theme, storytelling, technical skills, and the ability to translate her idea into reality.
Xuerui tells JCK that she hopes this award connects her to other designers and serves as the beginning of a long career within the jewelry industry.
“This has been a wonderful, wonderful journey with HRD Design Awards,” Xuerui says. “When I saw the design theme Peace, it immediately led me to the narrative between man and nature. I then envisioned the general idea and shape of the piece, began my design research, and carried out brainstorming with drawings, which helped me arrive at a design that I’m happy with.”
And what a design it is—from the front, Mutualistic looks like an exaggerated collar, wrapping the wearer in an array of individual bursts of sunshine. From the back, the design takes on an angelic framework, dripping down the wearer’s shoulders like a warrior or a golden goddess.
“My curiosity for jewelry started in high school when I spent a lot of time reading about this magical world. The early exposure inspired me to learn more about jewelry design in university,” Xuerui says. “I came to realize that jewelry design not only shares my creativity, but it has the ability to light up the day when what is on paper becomes a piece of art. Besides, when I try to come up with better pieces, I have to zoom in on all kinds of beauty in life, which, for sure, has heightened my passion for this industry.”
CEO HRD Antwerp Ellen Joncheere said this design award allows talented designers to dream and see those inspirations come to life. “In general, we were surprised by the high level of the designs that we received and it’s proven that with the right platform you eliminate all obstacles and make room for new potential designers,” Joncheere said in a statement.
Joncheere also debuted HRD Antwerp’s new initiative to support young designers worldwide during the awards show. The Young Designers Community will “support and nurture creators” with networking opportunities, education, and resources, Joncheere said.
“The new generation is the future of our industry. It’s essential that if we want to keep attracting new and young talent that we provide them with the necessary tools and surround them with the expertise and network they need to grow their talents,” Joncheere said. “I see at as my responsibility to connect Antwerp with the best designers worldwide, and the Young Designers Community is a perfect platform to support that mission.”
Final Winners:
Global winner 18th edition HRD Design Awards: Wang Xuerui, China
Category winner, accessories: Wang Xuerui, China
1st runner-up: Jun Yuying Zhang, China
2nd runner-up: Yi-Wen Chen, Taiwan
Category winner, gemstones: Amelia Rachim, Italy
1st runner-up: Maho Nozawa, Japan
2nd runner-up: Chao Yu, China
Category winner, diamonds: Indika Wijayarathna, Sri Lanka
1st runner-up: Benoit Schrijnemakers, Belgium
2nd runner-up: Lily Leung, China
Top: Chinese jewelry designer Wang Xuerui was recently named the global winner of the 18th edition HRD Design Awards at VincenzaOro for her dramatic accessory design, Mutualistic (photos courtesy of HRD Design Awards).
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