I have been sitting on a large collection of antique glass lockets for a long time; I begun collecting these lockets in the first lockdown of March 2020 and I developed an obsession with buying them. Well, we did have much more time on our hands didn’t we!! Since building up this collection I have struggled with the idea of parting with them; as an antique jewellery dealer I’m usually quite good at not getting attached but something made me hold onto these lockets despite numerous offers to buy them from other dealers and clients. I felt there was something very special which I could do with them instead of simply re-selling them. That is until now…
As I felt a connection to these wonderful lockets and their history, I wanted to bring them back to life in a beautiful way for others to enjoy. There is no need for these lockets to waste away at the back of a forgotten old drawer. My initial idea was to fill these lockets with loose gemstones but I encountered some problems with this idea as many of the lockets did not have convex glass with room to fill them with gemstones.
I loved art and painting when I was young (I really wish I had more time for painting today) so my eventual idea was to fill each locket with beautiful works of art, each with a magical story behind their concept. I've always felt most inspired by the night sky, magic, mythology and fairy tales. This is reflected in so much of the antique jewellery that I buy, with the Moon and Stars motif being a common theme in my work.
After months of painstaking searching and lots of trial and error I have met a wonderful artist named Yu-Ting. (they do say patience IS A VIRTUE)
When I first saw Yu-Ting’s art, I was immediately drawn to her captivating work; really connecting with the emotion behind her paintings. I love her precision and the story telling behind her art.
"Yu-Ting loves to broaden the boundary of cultural landscapes by creating visual stories." Yu-Ting is a Taiwanese artist and filmmaker based in London. Having completed her studies at the Royal College of Art in 2020, Yu-Ting has developed a strong foundation in fine art. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills in dynamic creative environments across London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. With her artistic vision and expertise, Yu-Ting brings a unique perspective to the commission project with Milly's Marvels.
Just like me Yu-Ting shares my passion for fairy-tale magic and she holds genuine excitement to work on this project with me so I instinctively knew this would be the perfect match! I hope you enjoy this journey as much as have we enjoyed creating it for you to enjoy. You can view more of Yu-Ting's incredible work on her Instagram page @tingchzy
Click here to shop Yu Ting's Hand Painted Portrait Lockets in collaboration with Milly's Marvels.
