ow does an artist like Wallis Hong dream up his jewellery? “I imagine myself living in another world,” he replies. “Not the world we know. A world filled with wonders.”

This self-taught jeweller may be only 29 years old, but his work has already featured in several exhibitions. In 2022 his Thorn Shells earrings were added to Shenzhen Jewellery Museum’s permanent collection. He made his European debut at the GemGenève international gem and jewellery fair in November 2022, after Nadège Totah, one of the fair’s directors, invited him to present his work in the Emerging Talents section. Since then, Wallis Hong’s career has taken off.

Wallis Hong

His mother, a musician and art collector, sowed the seeds for his love of art and jewellery, while his inspirations are drawn from childhood memories. “We lived in a house my father had found, in the middle of nowhere, in the tiny village of Wansong, in Guangdong province. There was a pond nearby. Each morning I’d wake up and gaze in awe at the beauty of the surrounding nature, at the insects and plants whose names I didn’t know. All this is anchored in my memory. The jewellery I make is part of those memories, like something out of a fairy tale. When a woman wears one of my pieces, I want her to feel like a magical creature that has found its way to earth.”

Inspired by René Lalique

Wallis Hong studied sculpture and painting at the Madrid Academy of Arts, having moved to Spain in 2016. He became interested in jewellery design after searching for a necklace but finding nothing he liked enough to wear. Then one day, while visiting the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, he came face to face with René Lalique’s Dragonfly Woman corsage. “I was taken aback by its beauty,” he recalls. “It was like a living sculpture, like nothing I’d ever seen before. It’s what made me want to become a jewellery artist. I decided there and then to design a piece of jewellery for myself that would transcend time.”

Ethereal Butterfly I. Coloured sapphires, pink tourmaline, white diamonds, titanium, platinum. ©Wallis Hong

His next step was to meet with jewellery manufacturers and learn about basic techniques such as wax modelling, casting, gem-setting, polishing, engraving, gold-plating and titanium anodising.. “I learned techniques from a master called Liang but the creativity comes from within. Nature is my master. I sculpt the form and polish the titanium, but leave the gem-setting to professionals. The techniques I use are casting, having first moulded the shape in clay, then miniature sculpture of the titanium piece using tiny tools. There’s no room for error. It took me a year to complete the Ethereal Butterfly.”

Eternal Butterfly I Brooch. Brown fancy rose-cut diamonds, white diamonds, sapphires, pink sapphires, tsavorites, pearl on the back. ©Wallis Hong

This impressive brooch is an example of the ancient tradition of jade carving. “The master carver who made it has more than forty years’ experience and is one of the very few artists capable of creating such a piece. I wanted to bring something new to jewellery, but most of all I wanted to reveal this Chinese tradition to the world. Some people think it has been 3D-printed but it hasn’t. Initially I tried lost-wax casting but the structure was too fine, too delicate, so I turned to this technique which is part of our tradition.”

“Nature is my master”

Butterflies are a recurring theme, as in this pair of brooches in shimmering titanium set with precious stones, which originated in a childhood adventure. “I was six years old and had gone out chasing butterflies near a cave by a waterfall,” says Wallis Hong. “Suddenly this huge butterfly flew up out of the water. I’d never seen anything so big or so colourful. The play of water and sunlight gave the impression that its wings were studded with precious stones. I’m glad I wasn’t able to catch it. Nature’s beauty isn’t something we can own. It should be admired in the environment where it belongs.”

Siren earrings. Diamonds, coloured sapphires, titanium, platinum. ©Wallis Hong

Nature isn’t his only source of inspiration. His ideas also take root in traditions, symbols and circular forms. “When I was eight, we moved to the temple where my grandfather lived, with the monks, in the foothills of a mountain. Buddhist sculptures and symbols would later become an important inspiration.”

Wallis Hong’s work is his passion. He is adamant he would “never sell a piece to someone who doesn’t respect my art. I’m in a position where I don’t have to sell my work for a living. I became a businessman and set up a company that imports and sells safety and security equipment, knowing this would leave me free to create what I want, how I want. I don’t let anyone influence me. The only person I listen to is myself.”

A fairytale without end

Since taking part in GemGenève, Wallis Hong has been inundated with requests from organisations including the Shenzhen Jewellery Museum. “The museum has invited me to design a wall for them after reading about me in the press. It’s a huge project. I was also one of the judges at the China Fashion Gala in June 2023.”

Despite being thrust into the spotlight, Wallis Hong remains steadfast in his direction, although this sudden rise to fame has changed other things in his life. “A lot of new customers and collectors are getting in touch,” he says. “Some ask me to design a bespoke piece around stones they already own. Others buy my jewellery for their personal collection. Certain dealers give me precious stones on consignment so I can create the jewellery I want to create without having to worry about whether I have the means to acquire the perfect stone or whether it will find a buyer. They want to support me and for customers to realise the enormous creativity these stones can spark and the infinite possibilities for innovation in fine jewellery.”

Wallis Hong’s jewellery is like a book of fairy tales in which each piece is its own story. “One by one, I’m bringing each of my dreams to life.”