Chao Wei
Wei Chao
Wei Chao (Ally) was born in Taiwan but raised in Mainland China. The hybrid of two cultures gave her extensive learning experiences and a remarkable taste in art. Ally began her artistic career in the fashion industry because her passion allowed her to create with fabrics all day. Although she began at an early age, she was quickly recognized by a company in Shenzhen called “LunYee”. There, she was nominated to prepare the jewelry section for the upcoming conference in New York Fashion Week. A year later, Ally discovers that her passion has shifted from fashion to jewelry design, however, she was unsure. Consequently, she decided to see if jewelry design fits her, and thus enrolled under the Pratt institute to broaden her options. During that time, she talked with many local famous designers and saw the beauty of jewelry firsthand. It was then that she knew jewelry was her definitive passion. In the year 2020, she won the reward for DTA Medal based on her skills in Rhino and Adobe. Currently, after her graduation from Pratt Institute in May 2021, she intends to use the different sets of skills she acquired to land an internship. At the same time, she will begin to group with her talented friends and form a small business to exhibit her work.
Epithet -Control the wave, you can be soft but you are also tsunami
By Chao Wei
蛇姬 Medusa -I wasn't like this before, but you hollow me out
By Chao Wei
Portgas -I won't let you go once you're here
By Chao Wei
花之都 Flower Capital -I am a man but I am also a woman
By Chao Wei
時間的果 Time Devil Fruit -Biggest regret, I am strong and yet time is the only thing I can't control
By Chao Wei
The Claw for More -I once thought I have everything in my hand, until I see him die with a smile
By Chao Wei
Artist Statement
One Piece of Life is a collection created to achieve my goal and kickstart my career in jewelry. This well-known manga is an accumulation of adventure, friendship, laughter, passion, and commitment. Their thematic motifs are the definition of my life, one that is positive and optimistic. However, I aim to exhibit the duality of two opposing forces' by integrating positivity with the thirst for power, corruption, and exploitation. The dark side of humanity is also one that resides in the very fabric of our primal nature. Good and evil is a simple matter of perspective; our minds are programmed to think our actions are justified, despite the moral or ethical concerns attached to them. In truth, we are cognitive misers who tend to embrace our biases. The moral ambiguity in the manga, and quite frankly in real life, is the essence I am trying to capture.

In my work, I strike for a more rudimentary appearance mixed with a hybrid of complex materials. The materials I select tend to present better in a darker condition, capturing the essence of ambition and patience. Different pieces reflect the most remarkable and most minute details of the varying storyline in the manga. It serves as a perfect hook of attention, as we immediately direct our gaze upon it.

Casting and hand fabrication are the most common method I use to manufacture efficiently while still maintaining the capability to capture the details with great accuracy. To achieve that, I tend to keep my metals in their raw state, unpolished and natural. In contrast, I was holding the shapes mostly organic, having a more comfortable look. Furthermore, to bring out the details of my skill, I create a sense of depth and duality through the careful use of oxidation. The texture will then present itself with clear-cut definitions, forging intricate outlines that demonstrate complexity.

My work aims to strike a sense of nostalgia for the manga's audience. At the same time, I hope it will spread One Piece's core themes so more can appreciate it. "One Piece" once and much more created many of my memories. "One Piece" has served as my motivation for many things in life, and I hope others can discover that as well.