Silver Society Prize
THE
SILVER SOCIETY PRIZE
FOR SILVERSMITHING 2022
WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE WINNER IS
CAIYANG YIN
for his
SCREAM BOX
The Scream Box, made in fine silver and sterling silver and marked for 2022, is the first piece of silverware, as opposed to jewellery, that Caiyang has made. The cover of the handmade box involved chasing and repoussé work.
The judges said: we were very impressed with Caiyang’s silver Scream Box, it is a very contemporary design and it has great originality. The square silver box decorated with a man’s emotional face, has a highly sculptural aesthetic and demonstrates a unique style. To make a square box is one of the most basic silversmithing skills, but it is challenging to achieve, requiring great accuracy and control. Caiyang’s box is very professionally made and extremely well finished. The box can be seen in this video https://youtu.be/vxPH8faCj0Q
and other examples of Caiyang’s work can be seen on his website https://www.ycyjewel.com/
Caiyang, who trained in the design at the University of Geosciences in Wuhan, went on to study for a Master of Fine Art in Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh University. He now works as a jeweller based in Birmingham and is currently an artist in residence at the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University. Most of his work has a sculptural aesthetic which combines traditional and modern techniques to express his thoughts, especially about the peoples’ state of mind in our current fast-paced society. He believes that contemporary jewellery is not necessarily about pleasing appearances but should embody emotions and attitudes.
The Silver Society Prize is awarded to a silversmith who is either aged under 35 or is in the first five years of their career as a practicing silversmith.